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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Breast cancer rates have dropped dramatically -- most likely from two important factors.
A new study from the American Cancer Society reveals a decrease in breast cancer, starting in the late 90s, in almost all women age 45 and older. This is consistent with more mammogram usage. It also shows a sharp fall in the rates between 2002 and 2003 in women between ages 50 and 69, which is most likely a reflection of fewer women using hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
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The report focused on women age 40 and older because regular mammography screening begins at that age and HRT is most often used by women age 50 and older. Researchers looked at trends in more than 450,000 breast cancer cases in a national database from 1975 to 2003.
Results show breast cancer cases went up by almost 40 percent between 1980 and 1998, but then started decreasing dramatically from 2002 to 2003. The greatest decline was in women with small tumors, those in the early stages of the disease, tumors that were estrogen/progestin positive and in women age 55 and older.
Researchers conclude the rapid decline came after the dramatic drop in women using HRT after the Women's Health Initiative study was published in 2002, showing a link between HRT and breast cancer. They also believe the drop beginning in 1998 reflects the growing use of mammography.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Breast Cancer Research, published online May 3, 2007
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