More breast cancer cases, but early detection and improved treatment lead to fewer deaths

More women are being diagnosed with breast cancer than ever before, but death rates continue to fall, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre (NBOCC). Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in Australian women with over 12,000 new cases diagnosed in 2006, and projections suggest that the number of new cases will continue to grow. A total of 2,618 women died from breast cancer in 2006, making it the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths for women. Trend data indicate that breast cancer mortality rates for females have been declining since the mid 1990s and that outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer have improved over recent decades. These and other data in this report provide a comprehensive picture of breast cancer in Australia including how breast cancer rates differ by Indigenous status, country of birth and geographic area.