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[Mortality from breast cancer in the European Community (1970-1985)]
M D García Arcal1, M Pollán Santamaría, G López-Abente Ortega
1Servicio de Epidemiología del Cáncer, Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Madrid.
Background:
A comparative study of mortality by breast cancer in the different countries of the European Community was carried out.
Methods:
Deaths by breast cancer in women over the age of 14 from 1970-1985 were considered. The data were collected from the Statistical Yearbook of the World Health Organization. Poisson log-lineal models were used to calculate the relative risk and evaluate the temporary tendency of each country. Lastly a different model was established for each age group (15-44, 45-64, > 65) to know their evolution over time in the different countries.
Results:
A north-south pattern was observed in the mortality by this tumor. Considered altogether, the Mediterranean countries present a mortality defect of 45% with respect to the remaining countries. The global tendency is slightly upwards in all the countries. This increase is significantly greater in the Mediterranean countries (7% every 5 years). Analysis by age showed that this increase is produced in the group of women over the age of 44 years.
Conclusions:
The increase in death by breast cancer in the European countries continues to rise despite the existing detection programs and improvements in survival. The differences among the countries tend to decrease making the incidence of breast cancer in the north and south of Europe ever more similar.