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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Thu Aug 12 2010 - 09:23:28 EDT
UK breast cancer rates four times higher than Eastern Africa
11/08/2010 15:41:00
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Breast cancer rates in the UK are over four times higher than those in
Eastern Africa, World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has revealed.
According to the latest cancer statistics, 87.9 women per 100,000 in the UK
(adjusted for age) were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, compared to
just 19.3 women per 100,000 in Eastern Africa, which includes countries such
as Kenya and Tanzania.
Part of the difference is likely to be because the UK is better at
diagnosing and recording breast cancer cases. But WCRF has warned that
lifestyle is also an important reason for the difference.
Scientists estimate about four out of every 10 breast cancer cases in the UK
(42 per cent) could be prevented through maintaining a healthy weight,
drinking less alcohol and being more physically active. There is also
convincing evidence that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.
Women in Eastern Africa drink much less alcohol than women in the UK and
obesity levels are much lower. Breastfeeding rates in Eastern Africa are
also much higher.
Dr Rachel Thompson, Deputy Head of Science for WCRF, said: “The fact that
breast cancer rates in Eastern Africa are so much lower than in the UK is a
stark reminder that every year in this country, thousands of women are
diagnosed with a case of cancer that could have been prevented.
“That such a large difference in breast cancer rates exists between these
two areas is a real concern. Also, it is not just Eastern Africa that has
significantly lower breast cancer rates. The rate here is double that of
South America, for example, and more than three times that of Eastern Asia.
“The fact that rates of breast cancer are much lower in other parts of the
world highlights the fact that breast cancer is not inevitable. This means
we need to do more to get across the message that just by making relatively
simple changes to our lifestyle such as drinking less alcohol and
maintaining a healthy weight, women can reduce their risk of breast cancer.
“And it is not just breast cancer risk that is affected by what we eat and
drink and how physically active we are. Scientists estimate that about a
third of the most common cancers in the UK could be prevented just through
eating healthily, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight.”
According to the statistics, the highest rates of breast cancer in the world
are in Belgium, which had 109.4 cases per 100,000 women in 2008.
Notes to editors:
•The statistics come from GLOBOCAN, a project by the International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC) in France. This project provides contemporary
estimates of national incidence and mortality from major type of cancers for
all countries of the world.
•The countries GLOBOCAN includes as being part of Eastern Africa are:
Burundi; Comoros; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; La Réunion (French island);
Kenya; Madagascar; Malawi; Mauritius; Mozambique; Rwanda; Somalia; Tanzania;
Uganda; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.
•The rates per 100,000 people have been age adjusted. This means that for
each country they have taken into account the differing proportions of
people in different age groups to make sure they are comparing like with
like.
•This is important because older people are more likely to develop breast
cancer, which would otherwise distort the figures because the UK’s
population is older than Eastern Africa’s.
About WCRF
World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) raises awareness that cancer is largely
preventable and helps people make choices to reduce their chances of
developing the disease.
This includes research into how cancer risk is related to diet, physical
activity, and weight management, and education programmes that highlight the
fact that about a third of cancers could be prevented through changes to
lifestyle. For more information on the charity’s work, visit www.wcrf-uk.org
The WCRF report, called Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the
Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective, was launched in November 2007
and is the most comprehensive report ever published on the link between
cancer and lifestyle. For more information, visit
www.dietandcancerreport.org
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