How many cases and deaths of breast cancer were estimated to be in 2003?

In 2003, were estimated to be 211300 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosis in women and 55700 cases of “in situ” breast cancer. Also, a number of 39700 women were accepted to die from this awful disease. In men, the expectations were about 1300 cases and 400 deaths, which represent only 1% of all breast cancers.

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You can find below more detailed information about estimates of breast cancer diagnosis from 2003, in the United States:



-         Under the age of 30 were estimated 100 cases of in situ breast cancer which represents a percent of 0.2, 1000 cases of invasive cancer (0.5%) and 100  deaths (0,3%).
-         Between the ages of 30 and 39 years were estimated 2100 cases of in situ breast cancer (3,8%), 10500 cases of invasive cancer (5.0%), and 1300 deaths (3.3%).
-         Between the ages of 40 and 49 years were estimated 12600 cases of in situ breast cancer (22.6%), 35500 cases of invasive cancer (16.8%) and 4300 deaths (10.8%)
-         Between the ages of 50 and 59 years were estimated  15700 cases of in situ breast cancer (28.2%), 48700 cases of invasive cancer (23%) and 7000 deaths (17,6%)
-         Between the ages of 60 and 69 years were estimated 11500 cases of in situ breast cancer (20.6%), 43100 cases of invasive breast cancer (20.4%) and 7400 deaths (18.4%)
-         Between the ages of 70 and 79 years were estimated 10100 cases of in situ breast cancer (18.1%), 45600 cases of invasive breast cancer (21.6%) and 9500 deaths (23.9%)
-         In women over 80 years were estimated 3500 cases of in situ breast cancer (6.3%), 27000 cases of invasive breast cancer (12.8%) and 11000 deaths (25.4%)

Total = 55700 cases of insitu breast cancer, 211300 cases of invasive breast cancer and 39700 deaths.

But how has the occurrence of breast cancer changed over time we will find out from the next lines.
Incidence rates of invasive breast cancer in women for all races combined, since 1973 show three distinct phases
–        the incidence was essentially constant between 1973 and 1980
–        between 1980 and 1987 the incidence rates increased by almost 4% per year
–        and also, the incidence rates increased again between 1987 and with 0,4% per year.



Also, the age probabilities of developing breast cancer are:
-         If current age is 20 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 0,05% or 1 in 2152.
-         If current age is 30 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 0,40% or 1 in 251.
-         If current age is 40 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 1,45% or 1 in 69.
-         If current age is 50 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 2,78% or 1 in 36.
-         If current age is 60 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 3,81% or 1 in 26.
-         If current age is 70 then the probability of developing breast cancer in the next 10 years is 4,31% or 1 in 23..

More and more cancer patients have recovered - The number of the cured patients of cancer is growing, shows the most recent Europe study in a special number of the European Journal of Cancer publication. The Eurocare Study 4 (European Cancer Registry) conducted in 23 countries of Europe, support that the diagnosed Europeans with cancer, have increased chances of survival due to medical treatment.
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The researchers have examined several parameters on the cancer evolution during 1995 – 2002, comparing the nationality data, gender and the type of the cured cancer. Thus, approximately 35% of the population total, of the analyzed countries was included the largest epidemiological study, made in Europe. At the analysis end, the report of Eurocare 4 shows that the number of the cured people of lung cancer, increased from 6% to 8%, for stomach cancer from 15% to 18% and for colorectal cancer from 42% to 49%.

Winners: The Icelandic men and women from France and Finland - About this division by sex, indifferent of the cancer type, the larges number of men who have survived cancer, are found in Iceland (47%) and highest proportion of women which has cured of cancer is registered in France and Finland (59% in both countries). In Poland it is the lowest percentage of cured patients: 21% for men and 38% for women. Researchers have highlighted a significant difference between EU countries in the types of cancer that have been the most numerous healing.

In Finland, France, Spain and Sweden, are the most cured patients of the breast cancer - 73% of the Finnish, French, Spanish, Swedish patients have been cured of breast cancer while the percentage in Czech Republic and Poland is 60%.

The breast cancer is the most common but in women, and its incidence is increasing. There are over 250,000 new cases diagnosed in Europe and more then 175,000 in the United States of America, with an annual death rate of approximately 165,000 patients in Europe and 44,000 in the United States. Every single year in all over the world, more then 700,000 women die of this disease and it is estimated that 8%,9% of women will develop this awful disease during life. The success rate of the treatment depends on the stage when the cancer was diagnosed.

Survival percent of the breast cancer diagnosis cases is the 100% is the disease is detected early and it decreases if the patient reaches the four stage.

In France and Spain, are the most cured patients of the lung cancer - Data shows that in France and Spain , the number of the lung cancer cured patients is bigger (10%) while in Denmark, Czech Republic and Poland is the lowest proportion (only 5%).

The lung cancer is the most common form of cancer, globally registering 1.4 million new cases annually. Unfortunately, lung cases are diagnosed later in unrespectable or metastasis stage. Despite the chemotherapy use as a first-line therapeutic option, less than 5% of patients with lung cancer survive 5 years, while the remaining 95% are dying in about 12 months after diagnosis. Therefore, extending the survival period without any disease progress and reducing the adverse effects are the key factors in treating the patients of lung cancer.

In France most people are cured of colorectal cancer - France is once again the leader registering the highest healing rate (49%) among colorectal cancer patients, while there are only 30% of poles, Czechs and Danes have been cured of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer affects the large intestine and is the third type of cancer frequency in both, women and men, representing 13% of all cases of cancer.

Unfortunately, each year, there are 700.000 breast cancer victims all over the globe. The doctors still can not explain why some people get sick and others do not. Breast cancer is one of the most common diseases in women and the only way to save the patient, is an early detection and treatment of chemotherapy. However, breast cancer is common also in pregnant women.
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But does it affect pregnancy? One in 1000 pregnant women develops breast cancer, existing the risk that both baby and the mother, to be devastated. Having breast cancer and also being pregnant, lots of changes takes place in women breasts. During pregnancy, the breasts increase their volume, become hard and painful, and there appear some unusual symptoms. Do not ignore these symptoms because they are not all related to pregnancy! Show you doctor the changes you see, because some can be pathological.

However, opinions are divided. Some experts say that having breast cancer during pregnancy women risk losing the baby or to give birth prematurely and others say that breast cancer doesn’t affect pregnancy. One thing is sure. breast cancer can’t spread to the baby. But what about the treatment? Well, in a recent study, some women with breast cancer were followed during pregnancy. Most of them had an advanced form of breast cancer.

Due to advanced stage, 16 patients (70%) have made chemotherapy with anthracyclines in the 2^nd and 3^rd trimester, pending surgical excision of the tumor. This type of chemotherapy has the least harmful effect on the fetus and is the preferred method in pregnant women where radiotherapy and surgery, in generally, are avoided.

12 women out of 16, performed mammograms to track the tumor response to chemotherapy. Researchers have demonstrated that the patients responded accurately to the treatment.

So, breast cancer does not appear to affect the fetus and also pregnancy does not appear to affect survival women who had breast cancer in the past. Some doctors recommend that a woman should wait 2 years after breast cancer treatment, to have a child and so any relapse of the cancer can be detected.

This could affect a woman’s decision to become pregnant but it does not appear that fetus may be affected if the mother had breast cancer in the past; effect of some certain cancer treatments on subsequent pregnancy, are not known. (  not even effects of treatment with high dose of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplation, with or without radiotherapy, on a future pregnancy, are not known).

On the other hand, lactation (milk production by the mammary gland) and breast feeding should be stopped if surgery and chemotherapy are planned. That is because the blood flow in the mammary gland must be reduced and indeed the size too or because many anticancer drugs, especially cyclophosphamide and methotrexate, may occur at high levels in the breast milk and can affect the baby.

However, breastfeeding is beneficial for both, mother and child, reducing the risk of breast cancer. A study of cancer statistics conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has shown that breastfeeding mothers for a year, 4.8% less risk of breast cancer.

This process reduces the level of certain cancerous hormones which are present in mother’s blood and at the end of the breastfeeding, mother’s body eliminates the damaged breast cells, which have might transform in the future, into tumors. Breastfeeding is beneficial also to prevent ovarian cancer decreases the risk of myocardial stroke with almost 25%. Also, breast milk strengthens the child’s health, protecting him against intestinal parasites, asthma, lung infections and allergies.

Probably everyone has heard about this disease but certainly not many know how frequent it appears. In most cases, breast cancer is a fatal disease not because the lack of a efficient treatment or of detection methods, but because many women say: “It can not happen to me!” , “I’m not so unlucky!”. That is the problem! Women avoid examination. Probably is believed to be a shameful thing, one thing you must avoid. You really have to give up on these “opinions” and must think about you because this disease is more than reality.
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But how many people die and how many are diagnosed each year?

As I said above, breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer on women, and its incidence is increasing. Every year there are diagnosed 250.000 new cases in Europe and about 211.000 in United States of America; death rate is about 165.000 in Europe and 44.000 in United States of America each year.



So, people die from breast cancer each year. Unfortunately, all over the globe, more then 700.000 women are dieing each year and 8-9% women will develop breast cancer during life.

If it is diagnosed early, before spreading in the body, women with breast cancer have a survival rate at 5 years in 95% cases. Still, despite diagnostic advances and treatment, breast cancer is the main cause of death on women and the third cause of death in Europe and United States of America. After primary treatment, about 50% of the patients will develop metastasis cancer (advanced); since diagnosis, the average survival is between 18 – 30 months.

Let’s remember the most important aspects:

-         Every two minutes a women is diagnosed with breast cancer

-         this year are expected to appear 211.000 new cases of breast cancer in the USA.

-         One of eight women who reaches 85 years is developing breast cancer during life.

-         It is the main cause of death on women aged between 40 and 55 years.

-         70% of the cases are discovered through tests of self-examination Not all swelling of the breast can be detected by palpation. It is recommended to make regularly mammography or self-examination.

-         Statistics show that this type of cancer at children occurs at a rate of 0.1% and it is less aggressive then in an adults case. Those affected by this disease have a genetic predisposition in this direction. ( the youngest person in United States suffering from breast cancer is a 10 year-old girl named Hannah Powell-Auslum from California).



-         Two of ten swellings found in the breast are cancerous. If you find them, don’t panic and consult a doctor.

-         Some of the early signs of this disease are: swellings (already been spoken) which usually are unique, hard and often painless, superficial veins which are more prominent, mammary papilla changes its skin texture, etc.

-         Mammography is an radiography with low concentrations of X-ray, that can detect breast cancer with 2 years before the tumor to be felt on palpation.

-         If discovered in time, survival chance is 96%. These are excellent news; in the United States, over 2 million breast cancer survivors are still alive today.

-         Women who had an ill person with breast cancer in their family, present a greater risk of developing it; still, the most women diagnosed had no previous case in their family.

Why is it important to find out and inform regarding breast cancer statistics? We must point out these grim statistics to understand how effective education in preventing this disease is. Getting thoroughly informed is essential for an early diagnosis and for choosing the right treatment for your type of cancer. It is true that some statistics are in your favor and some might discourage you, but it is still vitally important for making the right decision to get informed and know about them.

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Statistics show that in Europe a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every 2.5 minutes. In many countries, only 5% of women with breast cancer have been diagnosed in time, which means that chances of survival can be reduced dramatically. In the UK, the number of deaths caused by breast cancer was approximated at 12,470 deaths.



Since then the number of deaths due to breast cancer in women has been increasing from year to year until it reached its peak of 15,600 in 1989. These are absolute numbers, but more important is the evolution of death rates from breast cancer: from 41.6 to 100,000 women in 1989 and 26.7 in 2007. The main reasons for the favorable evolution after 1989 are the methods of treatment and diagnosis. The fast paced evolution of technology and medicine introduced new methods and treatment options.

It is safe to state breast cancer now is diagnosed more quickly, it is significantly more easily treated, and thus the death rate is lower. It is proven that all those who have had breast cancer still have a high risk of relapse of disease after five years of regular therapy. According to a study published in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute (NCI) after five years of full treatment without recurrence of breast cancer, 89% of women belonging to a group of 2838 patients treated during 1985-2001 shown no symptoms of relapse of the disease.

In the same group, 80% of women had also shown no signs of recurrence of breast cancer after one therapy over ten years, explained a professor specialized in breast cancer. After five years of treatment, the risk of breast cancer is around 7% for women who were detected early, approximately 11% if the tumor is in the second stage and 13% in the third stage, according to experts' estimations. It should also be taken into consideration the tumor type and the fact that using substitute hormonal treatment at menopause and genetic predispositions increase the risks of breast cancer significantly, emphasizes the study's authors.

If postmenopausal women have options for cancer preventing cancer recurrence, such as tamoxifen, for women at menopause that are not any similar treatment. Researchers need to develop new strategies to significantly reduce the risk of recurrence of breast cancer for women who undergo a period of five years, thus increasing the health of the population.



Women treated with chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or a combination of both types of treatments, have a lower risk of relapse of disease, although there might be side effects of choosing more treatments. So when reading or finding in a magazine something about breast cancer statistics you should ask yourselves about when did you last auto-examined your breasts? When did you have your last gynecological examination?