[Breast cancer in the Faeroe Islands during 1958-1987]

From 1958 to 1987, a total of 269 primary breast cancers were diagnosed in 261 women living in the Faroe Islands. The five-year survival was 46.7% (95% confidence interval 40.3-53.0%) and the median survival four years and three months. The incidence of breast cancer in the Faroe Islands remained constant from 1958 to 1972 after which an increase occurred. At present, one in 20 Faroe women will develop breast cancer before the age of 75 years. The time trend in breast cancer incidence is similar in the Faroe Islands and in Denmark, but the incidence is significantly lower in the Faroe Islands at a level corresponding to 2/3 of the Danish. This difference is presumed to be due to a different prevalence of risk factors for development breast cancer.