Early detection, treatment of breast cancer leading to declining mortality rates

Although most health professionals agree that breast cancer is a "serious concern for women," there are some who believe the risk of getting breast cancer "has been blown out of proportion, sometimes to the detriment of more pressing issues," the Los Angeles Times reports.

According to the Times, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, though Steven Woloshin, an internist at Dartmouth Medical School, said that "the lifetime number is misleading," adding, "What you really want to know is, 'What's the chance I'm going to get breast cancer in the foreseeable future?'"

According to the Times, the chance of a 40-year-old woman having breast cancer and dying from it before age 50 is one-third of 1%.

Michael Thun, head of epidemiological research for the American Cancer Society, said breast cancer rates have risen over the last 25 years but "appear to be leveling off," and he attributed the increase in rates to better detection, not necessarily more women getting cancer.

According to Thun, for every 2,000 women who obtain a mammogram, one will be diagnosed with a life-threatening breast cancer and will have her life prolonged through early detection and treatment.

In addition, 10 will have more benign forms of cancer "that probably wouldn't have threatened their lives even if they hadn't been treated but will get treated for them nonetheless," and 200 will have biopsies but will not have cancer of any kind, the Times reports.

The mortality rate from breast cancer has been dropping since the 1990s and continues to decline.

Some experts attribute the decline to early diagnosis and better treatment, but others say the rates have been affected by higher detection of benign forms of the cancer, according to the Times (Beckman, Los Angeles Times, 10/23).