Breast Ca Leads Drop in U.S., U.K. Mortality

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SAN ANTONIO -- Total cancer mortality among middle-aged women in the United States and United Kingdom has declined markedly since 1990--and an unprecedented drop in breast cancer mortality is the biggest reason why, Sir Richard Peto, Ph.D., said at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Indeed, through a series of moderate gains in survival achieved via breast screening plus incremental advances in endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, breast cancer mortality in women aged 35-69 years in the United States and United Kingdom has been almost halved since 1990.

"No other common cancer can claim such success. Hodgkin's disease, yes. Testicular cancer, yes. Childhood leukemia, yes. But this absolute gain in breast cancer survival is far bigger than the absolute gain from eliminating any of those diseases," …