Disparities in breast cancer mortality trends between 30 European countries: retrospective trend analysis of WHO mortality database

Rationale of the BREAst cancer e-healTH [BREATH] multicentre randomised controlled trial: an internet-based self-management intervention to foster adjustment after curative breast cancer by decreasing distress and increasing empowerment

BACKGROUND

After completion of curative breast cancer treatment, patients go through a transition from patient to survivor. During this re-entry phase, patients are faced with a broad range of re-entry topics, concerning physical and emotional recovery, returning to work and fear of recurrence. Standard and easy-accessible care to facilitate this transition is lacking. In order to facilitate adjustment for all breast cancer patients after primary treatment, the BREATH intervention is aimed at 1) decreasing psychological distress, and 2) increasing empowerment, defined as patients' intra- and interpersonal strengths.

METHODS/DESIGN

The non-guided Internet-based self-management intervention is based on cognitive behavioural therapy techniques and covers four phases of recovery after breast cancer (Looking back; Emotional processing; Strengthening; Looking ahead). Each phase of the fully automated intervention has a fixed structure that targets consecutively psychoeducation, problems in everyday life, social environment, and empowerment. Working ingredients include Information (25 scripts), Assignment (48 tasks), Assessment (10 tests) and Video (39 clips extracted from recorded interviews). A non-blinded, multicentre randomised controlled, parallel-group, superiority trial will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the BREATH intervention. In six hospitals in the Netherlands, a consecutive sample of 170 will be recruited of women who completed primary curative treatment for breast cancer within 4 months. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either usual care or usual care plus access to the online BREATH intervention (1:1). Changes in self-report questionnaires from baseline to 4 (post-intervention), 6 and 10 months will be measured.

DISCUSSION

The BREATH intervention provides a psychological self-management approach to the disease management of breast cancer survivors. Innovative is the use of patients' own strengths as an explicit intervention target, which is hypothesized to serve as a buffer to prevent psychological distress in long-term survivorship. In case of proven (cost) effectiveness, the BREATH intervention can serve as a low-cost and easy-accessible intervention to facilitate emotional, physical and social recovery of all breast cancer survivors.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2935).

Mammography screening and trust: the case of interval breast cancer

Interval cancer is cancer detected between screening rounds among screening participants. In the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Programme, 19 per 10,000 screened women are diagnosed with interval cancer. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 26 such women. The women interpreted their interval breast cancer in two ways: that mammography can never be completely certain, or as an experience characterized by shock and doubts about the technology and the conduct of the medical experts. Being diagnosed with interval cancer thus influenced their trust in mammography, but not necessarily to the point of creating distrust. The women saw themselves as exceptions in an otherwise beneficial screening programme. Convinced that statistics had shown benefits from mammography screening and knowing others whose malignant tumours had been detected in the programme, the women bracketed their own experiences and continued trusting mammography screening. Facing a potentially lethal disease and a lack of alternatives to mammography screening left the women with few options but to trust the programme in order to maintain hope. In other words, trust may not only be a basis for hope, but also a consequence of it.

Trends of population-based breast cancer survival in Germany and the US: decreasing discrepancies, but persistent survival gap of elderly patients in Germany

Background

Studies have revealed both higher cancer survival in the US than in Germany and substantial improvement of cancer survival in the past in these countries. This population-based study aims at comparing most recent 5-year relative survival of breast cancer patients and preceding trends in both countries.

Methods

Women with a first invasive breast cancer diagnosed and followed up between 1988 and 2008 from Germany and the US (utilizing data from the Saarland Cancer Registry and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, respectively) were included. Period analysis was used to derive most up-to-date 5-year relative survival and preceding survival trends according to age and stage.

Results

Since 1993, age standardized relative survival has steadily improved in Germany and the US to 83% and 88%, respectively. In the period 2005–08, relative survival of localized cancer was above 97% in both countries, and 79% and 83% for locally/regionally spread breast cancer, respectively. Prognosis of metastasized disease has remained very poor overall, with improvement essentially being restricted to younger patients. The proportion of patients diagnosed with localized breast cancer was consistently higher in the US. If adjusted for stage, the differences in relative survival between both countries diminished over time and eventually disappeared.

Conclusions

Similar survival is now observed in both countries for patients below the age of 70 years, but in Germany survival is still much lower for elderly patients. The observed trends point to treatment advances as a major cause for improved survival. However, substantial differences in mammography usage existed between both countries and might probably also account for the observed differences (to a lesser extent, also differences in health care systems, and delivery of cancer care). Encouraging, survival of breast cancer patients has improved in Germany to a much greater extent than in the US, albeit the persisting survival gap for elderly patients in Germany requires particular attention by researchers, public health authorities, and clinicians.

Is the tide turning against breast screening?

Herein I argue that mammographic screening has not delivered on its fundamental premise: to reduce the incidence of advanced breast cancer. Indeed, achieving this goal is required if screening is to reduce breast cancer mortality or mastectomy use. Rather, screening has caused substantial increases in the incidence of in situ and early invasive cancers. Moreover, evidence indicates that these screen-detected cancers are unlikely to be cases that were 'caught early', but instead represent women who would not have been diagnosed in the absence of screening and who, as a result, have received harmful, unnecessary treatment. If true, these observations raise the specter that screening creates breast cancer patients and that this practice carries little or no benefit.

Disparities in female breast cancer mortality rates in Brazil between 1980 and 2009

OBJECTIVE

To describe the temporal trends in female breast cancer mortality rates in Brazil in its macro-regions and states between 1980 and 2009.

METHODS

This was an ecological time-series study using data on breast cancer deaths registered in the Mortality Data System (SIM/WHO) and census data on the resident population collected by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE/WHO). Joinpoint regression analyses were used to identify the significant changes in trends and to estimate the annual percentage change (APC) in mortality rates.

RESULTS

Female breast cancer mortality rates in Brazil tended to stabilize from 1994 onward (APC = 0.4%). Considering the Brazilian macro-regions, the annual mortality rates decreased in the Southeast, stabilized in the South and increased in the Northeast, North, and Midwest. Only the states of Sao Paulo (APC = -1.9%), Rio Grande do Sul (APC = -0.8%) and Rio de Janeiro (APC = -0.6%) presented a significant decline in mortality rates. The greatest increases were found in Maranhao (APC=12%), Paraiba (APC=11.9%), and Piaui (APC=10.9%).

CONCLUSION

Although there has been a trend toward stabilization in female breast cancer mortality rates in Brazil, when the mortality rate of each macro-region and state is analyzed individually, considerable inequalities are found, with rate decline or stabilization in states with higher socioeconomic levels and a substantial increase in those with lower socioeconomic levels.

Short course radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost for stage I-II breast cancer, early toxicities of a randomized clinical trial

Background

TomoBreast is a unicenter, non-blinded randomized trial comparing conventional radiotherapy (CR) vs. hypofractionated Tomotherapy (TT) for post-operative treatment of breast cancer. The purpose of the trial is to compare whether TT can reduce heart and pulmonary toxicity. We evaluate early toxicities.

Methods

The trial started inclusion in May 2007 and reached its recruitment in August 2011. Women with stage T1-3N0M0 or T1-2N1M0 breast cancer completely resected by tumorectomy (BCS) or by mastectomy (MA) who consented to participate were randomized, according to a prescribed computer-generated randomization schedule, between control arm of CR 25x2 Gy/5 weeks by tangential fields on breast/chest wall, plus supraclavicular-axillary field if node-positive, and sequential boost 8x2 Gy/2 weeks if BCS (cumulative dose 66 Gy/7 weeks), versus experimental TT arm of 15x2.8 Gy/3 weeks, including nodal areas if node-positive and simultaneous integrated boost of 0.6 Gy if BCS (cumulative dose 51 Gy/3 weeks). Outcomes evaluated were the pulmonary and heart function. Comparison of proportions used one-sided Fisher's exact test.

Results

By May 2010, 70 patients were randomized and had more than 1 year of follow-up. Out of 69 evaluable cases, 32 were assigned to CR (21 BCS, 11 MA), 37 to TT (20 BCS, 17 MA). Skin toxicity of grade ≥1 at 2 years was 60% in CR, vs. 30% in TT arm. Heart function showed no significant difference for left ventricular ejection fraction at 2 years, CR 4.8% vs. TT 4.6%. Pulmonary function tests at 2 years showed grade ≥1 decline of FEV1 in 21% of CR, vs. 15% of TT and decline of DLco in 29% of CR, vs. 7% of TT (P = 0.05).

Conclusions

There were no unexpected severe toxicities. Short course radiotherapy of the breast with simultaneous integrated boost over 3 weeks proved feasible without excess toxicities. Pulmonary tests showed a slight trend in favor of Tomotherapy, which will need confirmation with longer follow-up of patients.

Trail registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00459628

Differentiation between benign and malignant breast tumors using kinetic features of real-time harmonic contrast-enhanced ultrasound

BACKGROUND

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has gained interest because of its ability to gather vascular information in diverse organs. There is still a subject of debate concerning its value in breast lesions, especially as a differential diagnostic tool.

PURPOSE

To investigate whether kinetic parameters of CEUS can differentiate between malignant and benign breast lesions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We evaluated 75 malignant and 21 benign lesions in the breast or axilla. Contrast harmonic imaging (CHI) US was performed after the injection of a bolus dose of 2.4 mL of Sono Vue® (Bracco, Milano, Italy). The following parameters were calculated for kinetic analysis: initial slope, time to peak enhancement, wash-out ratios W(21) and W(50) (relative decrease in signal intensity from the peak enhancement to 21 s and 50 s, respectively).

RESULTS

A significant difference was found between the benign and malignant lesions in time-to-peak (P value <0.05) and wash-out ratios W(21) (P value <0.001) and W(50) (P value <0.001). The mean time-to-peak was 9.3 s for malignant and 14.6 s for benign lesions. The mean signal drop from peak to signal intensity measured at 50 s was 85% for malignant and 66% for benign lesions. There was no difference in absolute values of peak signal intensity and initial slope. The most significant difference between standardized benign and malignant wash-out curves was found at 21 s but statistical significance was reached in the range of 14-50 s.

CONCLUSION

Real-time CEUS can evolve into a new non-invasive option for differentiate malignant from benign breast lesions.

The descriptive epidemiology of female breast cancer: an international comparison of screening, incidence, survival and mortality

BACKGROUND

This paper presents the latest international descriptive epidemiological data for invasive breast cancer amongst women, including incidence, survival and mortality, as well as information on mammographic screening programmes.

RESULTS

Almost 1.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide in 2008 and approximately 459,000 deaths were recorded. Incidence rates were much higher in more developed countries compared to less developed countries (71.7/100,000 and 29.3/100,000 respectively, adjusted to the World 2000 Standard Population) whereas the corresponding mortality rates were 17.1/100,000 and 11.8/100,000. Five-year relative survival estimates range from 12% in parts of Africa to almost 90% in the United States, Australia and Canada, with the differential linked to a combination of early detection, access to treatment services and cultural barriers. Observed improvements in breast cancer survival in more developed parts of the world over recent decades have been attributed to the introduction of population-based screening using mammography and the systemic use of adjuvant therapies.

CONCLUSION

The future worldwide breast cancer burden will be strongly influenced by large predicted rises in incidence throughout parts of Asia due to an increasingly "westernised" lifestyle. Efforts are underway to reduce the global disparities in survival for women with breast cancer using cost-effective interventions.

[Estimated mammogram coverage in Goiás State, Brazil]

This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate mammogram coverage in the State of Goiás, Brazil, describing the supply, demand, and variations in different age groups, evaluating 98 mammography services as observational units. We estimated the mammogram rates by age group and type of health service, as well as the number of tests required to cover 70% and 100% of the target population. We assessed the association between mammograms, geographical distribution of mammography machines, type of service, and age group. Full coverage estimates, considering 100% of women in the 40-69 and 50-69-year age brackets, were 61% and 66%, of which the Brazilian Unified National Health System provided 13% and 14%, respectively. To achieve 70% coverage, 43,424 additional mammograms would be needed. All the associations showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). We conclude that mammogram coverage is unevenly distributed in the State of Goiás and that fewer tests are performed than required.

Mammography screening and breast cancer mortality in Australia: an aggregate cohort study

BACKGROUND

Evidence that mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality derives from trials, with observational studies broadly supporting trial findings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the national mammographic screening programme, BreastScreen Australia, using aggregate screening and breast cancer mortality data.

METHODS

Breast cancer mortality from 1990 to 2004 in the whole Australian population was assessed in relation to screening exposure in the target of women aged 50-69 years. Population cohorts were defined by year of screening (and diagnosis), five-year age group at screening (and diagnosis), and local area of residence at screening (and diagnosis). Biennial screening data for BreastScreen Australia were related to cumulated mortality from breast cancer in an event analysis using Poisson regression, and in a time-to-event analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results were adjusted for repeated measures and the potential effects of mammography outside BreastScreen Australia, regionality, and area socio-economic status.

RESULTS

From the adjusted Poisson regression model, a 22% (95% CI:12-31%) reduction in six-year cumulated mortality from breast cancer was predicted for screening participation of approximately 60%, compared with no screening; 21% (95% CI:11-30%) for the most recently reported screening participation of 56%; and 25% (95% CI:15-35%) for the programme target of 70% biennial screening participation. Corresponding estimates from the Cox proportional hazard regression model were 30% (95% CI:17-41%), 28% (95% CI:16-38%) and 34% (95% CI:20-46%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite data limitations, the results of this nationwide study are consistent with the trial evidence, and with results of other service studies of mammography screening. With sufficient participation, mammography screening substantially reduces mortality from breast cancer.

Trends in incidence and detection of advanced breast cancer at biennial screening mammography in The Netherlands: a population based study

Introduction

The aims of this study were to determine trends in the incidence of advanced breast cancer at screening mammography and the potential of screening to reduce it.

Methods

We included a consecutive series of 351,009 screening mammograms of 85,274 women aged 50-75 years, who underwent biennial screening at a Dutch breast screening region in the period 1997-2008. Two screening radiologists reviewed the screening mammograms of all advanced screen detected and advanced interval cancers and determined whether the advanced cancer (tumor > 20 mm and/or lymph node positive tumor) had been visible at a previous screen. Interval cancers were breast cancers diagnosed in women after a negative screening examination (defined as no recommendation for referral) and before any subsequent screen. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared between women with advanced cancer and women with non-advanced cancer, including ductal carcinoma in situ.

Results

A total of 1,771 screen detected cancers and 669 interval cancers were diagnosed in 2,440 women. Rates of advanced cancer remained stable over the 12-year period; the incidence of advanced screen-detected cancers fluctuated between 1.5 - 1.9 per 1,000 screened women (mean 1.6 per 1,000) and of advanced interval cancers between 0.8 - 1.6 per 1,000 screened women (mean 1.2 per 1,000). Of the 570 advanced screen-detected cancers, 106 (18.6%) were detected at initial screening; 265 (46.5%) cancers detected at subsequent screening had been radiologically occult at the previous screening mammogram, 88 (15.4%) had shown a minimal sign, and 111 (19.5%) had been missed. Corresponding figures for advanced interval cancers were 50.9% (216/424), 24.3% (103/424) and 25.1% (105/424), respectively. At multivariate analysis, women with a ≥ 30 months interval between the latest two screens had an increased risk of screen-detected advanced breast cancer (OR 1.63, 95%CI: 1.07-2.48) and hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of advanced disease among interval cancers (OR 3.04, 95%CI: 1.22-7.53).

Conclusion

We observed no decline in the risk of advanced breast cancer during 12 years of biennial screening mammography. The majority of these cancers could not have been prevented through earlier detection at screening.

Quality of life factor as breast cancer risks

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have observed risk factors for breast cancer. We investigated the association between quality life factors as breast cancer risks in a case-control study in industrial Zenica- Doboj Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

METHODS

The case-control study was included 200 women, 100 without (control subjects) and 100 women with diagnosed breast cancer. We used questionnaires about breast cancer risks" as study tool. Logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a full assessment of confounding was included in analysis.

RESULTS

Breast cancer was positive associated with increasing age of life (from 45 years and more; OR= 1.25); further relative breast cancer history (OR= 4.42; 95%CI, 0.483-4.043); exposure to CT (OR=2.02; 95%CI, 1,254-3.261); never birth child (OR= 1.394; 95%CI, 0.808-2,407); used replacement hormonal therapy (OR= 1.826; 95%CI, 1.637-10.590); arrival time of menstruation (OR=2.651; 95%CI, 1.303-1.571); length of smoking status (OR=1.534; 95%CI, 0.756-3.098), alcohol consumption (OR=1.728; 95% CI, 0.396-7.533); exposure to CT per year (p=0.009), routine physical inactivity (p=0.009) and replacement hormones treatment (p=0.036).

CONCLUSION

Inverse associations of breast cancer and poverty, arival time of menopause were observed. The link between breast cancer and a distant-cousin- degree family history of breast cancer was inverse association with breast cancer too. These results provide further evidence that, for most women, physical activity may reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer.

Measuring NHS performance 1990-2009 using amenable mortality: interpret with care

OBJECTIVES

The new performance framework for the NHS in England will assess how well health services are preventing people from dying prematurely, based on the concept of mortality amenable to healthcare. We ask how the different parts of the UK would be assessed had this measure been in use over the past two decades, a period that began with somewhat lower levels of health expenditure in England and Wales than in Scotland and Northern Ireland but which, after 1999, saw the gap closing.

DESIGN

We assessed the change in age-standardized death rates in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland in two time periods: 1990-1999 and 1999-2009. Mortality data by five-year age group, sex and cause of death for the years 1990 to 2009 were analysed using age-standardized death rates from causes considered amenable to healthcare. The absolute change was assessed by fitting linear regression and the relative change was estimated as the average annual percent decline for the two periods.

SETTING

United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mortality from causes amenable to healthcare.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 1999 deaths amenable to medical care had been falling more slowly in England and Wales than in Scotland and Northern Ireland. However the rate of decline in England and Wales increased after 1999 when funding of the NHS there increased. Examination of individual causes of death reveals a complex picture, with some improvements, such as in breast cancer deaths, occurring simultaneously across the UK, reflecting changes in diagnosis and treatment that took place in each nation at the same time, while others varied.

CONCLUSIONS

Amenable mortality is a useful indicator of health system performance but there are many methodological issues that must be taken into account when interpreting it once it is adopted for routine use in England.

The breast screening programme and misinforming the public

The information provided to the public by the NHS Breast Screening Programme has been criticized for lack of balance, omission of information on harms and substantially exaggerated estimates of benefit. These shortcomings have been particularly evident in the various invitation leaflets for breast screening and in the Programme's own 2008 Annual Review, which celebrated 20 years of screening. The debate on screening has been heated after new data published in the last two years questioned the benefit and documented substantial harm. We therefore analysed whether the recent debate and new pivotal data about breast screening has had any impact on the contents of the new 2010 leaflet and on the 2010 Annual Review. We conclude that spokespeople for the Programme have stuck to the beliefs about benefit that prevailed 25 years ago. Concerns about over-diagnosis have not been addressed either and official documents still downplay this most important harm of breast cancer screening.

Why mammography screening has not lived up to expectations from the randomised trials

We analysed the relation between tumour sizes and stages and the reported effects on breast cancer mortality with and without screening in trials and observational studies. The average tumour sizes in all the trials suggest only a 12% reduction in breast cancer mortality, which agrees with the 10% reported in the most reliable trials. Recent studies of tumour sizes and tumour stages show that screening has not lowered the rate of advanced cancers. In agreement with this, recent observational studies of breast cancer mortality have failed to find an effect of screening. In contrast, screening leads to serious harms in healthy women through overdiagnosis with subsequent overtreatment and false-positive mammograms. We suggest that the rationale for breast screening be urgently reassessed by policy-makers. The observed decline in breast cancer mortality in many countries seems to be caused by improved adjuvant therapy and breast cancer awareness, not screening. We also believe it is more important to reduce the incidence of cancer than to detect it 'early.' Avoiding getting screening mammograms reduces the risk of becoming a breast cancer patient by one-third.

High burden of breast cancer in Belgium: recent trends in incidence (1999-2006) and historical trends in mortality (1954-2006)

INTRODUCTION

In Belgium, breast cancer mortality has been monitored since 1954, whereas cancer incidence data have only been made available for a few years. In this article we update historical trends of breast cancer mortality and describe the recent breast cancer incidence.

METHODS

Incidence data were extracted from the Belgium Cancer Registry from 2004 to 2006 for the Walloon and Brussels Regions and Belgium, and from 1999 to 2006 for the Flemish Region. The Directorate-general Statistics and Economic information provided the mortality data for the years 1954-1999 and 2004. The regional authorities of the Flemish and Brussels Regions provided the mortality data for the years 2000-2003 and 2005-2006.

RESULTS

In 2004, the World age-standardised breast cancer incidence for the whole of Belgium was 110 per 100, 000 person-years for all ages; and 172, 390 and 345 per 100, 000 person-years for the 35-49, 50-69, and 70+ age groups, respectively. The incidence rate was slightly higher in each age group in the Brussels Region. In Flanders, where the incidence could be observed during a longer period, an increase was observed until 2003 in the 50-69 age group, followed by a decrease. To the contrary, in the oldest age group, incidence continued to rise over the whole period, whereas no change in incidence was observed between 1999 and 2006 in the 35-49 age group.Mortality increased until the late 1980s and afterwards decreased in all regions and in age groups younger than 70. In women of 70 years and older, the decline began later.

CONCLUSIONS

The burden of breast cancer in Belgium is very high. In 2004, Belgium ranked first for the age-standardised incidence rate in Europe for all ages combined and in the 35-49 and 50-69 age groups. The impact of the known risk factors and of mammographic screening should be further studied. The mortality rate in Belgium ranked lower than incidence, suggesting favourable survival. Plausible explanations for the discrepancy between incidence and mortality are discussed.

The contribution of general and cancer-related variables in explaining physical activity in a breast cancer population 3 weeks to 6 months post-treatment

OBJECTIVE

Physical activity determinants are subject to change when confronted with the diagnosis of 'cancer' and new cancer-related determinants appear. The aim of the present study is to compare the contribution of cancer-related determinants with more general ones in explaining physical activity 3 weeks to 6 months post-treatment.

METHODS

A theory-based and validated questionnaire was used to identify physical activity levels (total and domain-specific) and associated determinants among 464 breast cancer survivors (aged 18 to 65 years) 3 weeks to 6 months post-treatment.

RESULTS

Descriptive analyses showed higher scores for general determinants in comparison with cancer-related determinants. Nevertheless, regression analyses showed that both general and cancer-related determinants explained total and domain-specific physical activity. Self-efficacy, enjoyment, social support, lack of time and lack of company were important general determinants. The perception of returning to normal life, cancer-related barriers (fatigue, lack of energy and physical side effects) and self-efficacy in overcoming these barriers were important cancer-related determinants. Although results differed according to the women's working status and the physical activity domain, general self-efficacy explained most physical activity types in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Comparable with the general population, enhancing breast cancer survivors' self-efficacy in being sufficiently physically active seems to be important in physical activity interventions post-treatment. However, interventions should be tailored to the experienced symptoms and working status of the women.

Mammography activity in Norway 1983 to 2008

BACKGROUND

In Norway, an organized screening mammography program, the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) started in four counties in 1996 and became nationwide in 2004. We collected data on pre-program screening activity, and in view of this activity we evaluated the potential impact of the program on breast cancer mortality in Norway.

METHODS

We searched data sources on mammography activity in Norway. Three data sources reported on examination activity, and two on self-reported examinations. We aimed at calculating annual number of women examined by mammography from 1983 to 2008, and coverage rate in program and non-program Norwegian counties.

RESULTS

The annual number of women examined increased from 5000 in 1983 to 110,000 in 1993 to reach its maximum of 131,000 in 2002, excluding program examinations. The annual number of women examined in the organized program increased from 1996 to a steady state about 190,000 in 2004. Prior to start of the organized program, 40% of women in target age groups reported to have had mammography examination. During the years 1996-2002, 64% of first participants in the organized program reported to have been examined previously. Assuming that the Norwegian program would in absence of prior screening have decreased breast cancer mortality by 25%, and that the activity in- and outside the organized program were equally effective, the measured effect of the organized program would under actual circumstances be a reduction of 11%.

CONCLUSION

The example of Norway illustrates that although monitoring of screening outcome is highly warranted, this may be seriously jeopardized if use of mammography examinations was widespread prior to implementation of an organized program.

Trends in breast cancer mortality in Sweden before and after implementation of mammography screening

BACKGROUND

Incidence-based mortality modelling comparing the risk of breast cancer death in screened and unscreened women in nine Swedish counties has suggested a 39% risk reduction in women 40 to 69 years old after introduction of mammography screening in the 1980s and 1990s.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated changes in breast cancer mortality in the same nine Swedish counties using a model approach based on official Swedish breast cancer mortality statistics, robust to effects of over-diagnosis and treatment changes. Using mortality data from the NordCan database from 1974 until 2003, we estimated the change in breast cancer mortality before and after introduction of mammography screening in at least the 13 years that followed screening start.

RESULTS

Breast mortality decreased by 16% (95% CI: 9 to 22%) in women 40 to 69, and by 11% (95% CI: 2 to 20%) in women 40 to 79 years of age.

DISCUSSION

Without individual data it is impossible to completely separate the effects of improved treatment and health service organisation from that of screening, which would bias our results in favour of screening. There will also be some contamination of post-screening mortality from breast cancer diagnosed prior to screening, beyond our attempts to adjust for delayed benefit. This would bias against screening. However, our estimates from publicly available data suggest considerably lower benefits than estimates based on comparison of screened versus non-screened women.

Effects of annual vs triennial mammography interval on breast cancer incidence and mortality in ages 40-49 in Finland

Background:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mammography screening invitation interval on breast cancer mortality in women aged 40–49 years.

Methods:

Since 1987 in Turku, Finland, women aged 40–49 years and born in even calendar years were invited for mammography screening annually and those born in odd years triennially. The female cohorts born during 1945–1955 were followed for up to 10 years for incident breast cancers and thereafter for an additional 3 years for mortality.

Results:

Among 14 765 women free of breast cancer at age 40, there were 207 incident primary invasive breast cancers diagnosed before the age of 50. Of these, 36 women died of breast cancer. The mean follow-up time for cancer incidence was 9.8 years and for mortality 12.8 years. The incidence of breast cancer was similar in the annual and triennial invitation groups (RR: 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75–1.29). Further, there were no significant differences in overall mortality (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 0.99–1.46) or in incidence-based breast cancer mortality (RR: 1.14, 95% CI: 0.59–1.27) between the annual and triennial invitation groups.

Conclusions:

There were no differences in the incidence of breast cancer or incidence-based breast cancer mortality between the women who were invited for screening annually or triennially.

High-resolution imaging without iteration: a fast and robust method for breast ultrasound tomography

Breast ultrasound tomography has the potential to improve the cost, safety, and reliability of breast cancer screening and diagnosis over the gold-standard of mammography. Vital to achieving this potential is the development of imaging algorithms to unravel the complex anatomy of the breast and its mechanical properties. The solution most commonly relied upon is time-of-flight tomography, but this exhibits low resolution due to the presence of diffraction effects. Iterative full-wave inversion methods present one solution to achieve higher resolution, but these are slow and are not guaranteed to converge to the correct solution. Presented here is HARBUT, the hybrid algorithm for robust breast ultrasound tomography, which utilizes the complementary strengths of time-of-flight and diffraction tomography resulting in a direct, fast, robust and accurate high resolution method of reconstructing the sound speed through the breast. The algorithm is shown to produce accurate reconstructions with realistic data from a complex three-dimensional simulation, with masses as small as 4 mm being clearly visible.

Clinical breast examination: preliminary results from a cluster randomized controlled trial in India

A cluster randomized controlled trial was initiated in the Trivandrum district (Kerala, India) on January 1, 2006, to evaluate whether three rounds of triennial clinical breast examination (CBE) can reduce the incidence rate of advanced disease incidence and breast cancer mortality. A total of 275 clusters that included 115,652 healthy women, aged 30-69 years, were randomly allocated to intervention (CBE; 133 clusters; 55,844 women) or control (no screening; 142 clusters; 59,808 women) groups. Performance characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, false-positive rate, and positive predictive value) of CBE were evaluated. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed for comparison of incidence rates between the intervention and control groups. Preliminary results for incidence are based on follow-up until May 31, 2009, when the first round of screening was completed. Of the 50,366 women who underwent CBE, 30 breast cancers were detected among 2880 women with suspicious findings in CBE screening that warranted further investigations. Sensitivity, specificity, false-positive rate, and positive predictive value of CBE were 51.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 38.2% to 65.0%), 94.3% (95% CI = 94.1% to 94.5%), 5.7% (95% CI = 5.5% to 5.9%), and 1.0% (95% CI = 0.7% to 1.5%), respectively. The age-standardized incidence rates for early-stage (stage IIA or lower) breast cancer were 18.8 and 8.1 per 100,000 women and for advanced-stage (stage IIB or higher) breast cancer were 19.6 and 21.7 per 100,000 women, in the intervention and control groups, respectively.

Basal phenotype breast cancer: implications for treatment and prognosis

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females. The origins and biology of breast carcinomas remain unclear. Cellular and molecular heterogeneity results in different distinct groups of tumors with different clinical behavior and prognosis. Gene expression profiling has delineated five molecular subtypes based on similarities in gene expression: luminal A, luminal B, HER2 overexpressing, normal-like and basal-like. Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) lacks estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 expression, and comprises myoepithelial cells. Specific features include high proliferative rate, rapid growth, early recurrence and decreased overall survival. BLBC is associated with ductal carcinoma in situ, BRCA1 mutation, brain and lung metastasis, and negative axillary lymph nodes. Currently, chemotherapy is the only therapeutic choice, but demonstrates poor outcomes. There is an overlap in definition between triple-negative breast cancer and BLBC due to the triple-negative profile of BLBC. Despite the molecular and clinical similarities, the two subtypes respond differently to neoadjuvant therapy. Although particular morphologic, genetic and clinical features of BLBC have been identified, a variety of definitions among studies accounts for the contradictory results reported. In this article the molecular morphological and histopathological profile, the clinical behavior and the therapeutic options of BLBC are presented, with emphasis on the discordant findings among studies.

Breast cancer mortality in neighbouring European countries with different levels of screening but similar access to treatment: trend analysis of WHO mortality database

OBJECTIVE

To compare trends in breast cancer mortality within three pairs of neighbouring European countries in relation to implementation of screening.

DESIGN

Retrospective trend analysis.

SETTING

Three country pairs (Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) v Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands v Belgium and Flanders (Belgian region south of the Netherlands), and Sweden v Norway).

DATA SOURCES

WHO mortality database on cause of death and data sources on mammography screening, cancer treatment, and risk factors for breast cancer mortality.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Changes in breast cancer mortality calculated from linear regressions of log transformed, age adjusted death rates. Joinpoint analysis was used to identify the year when trends in mortality for all ages began to change.

RESULTS

From 1989 to 2006, deaths from breast cancer decreased by 29% in Northern Ireland and by 26% in the Republic of Ireland; by 25% in the Netherlands and by 20% in Belgium and 25% in Flanders; and by 16% in Sweden and by 24% in Norway. The time trend and year of downward inflexion were similar between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and between the Netherlands and Flanders. In Sweden, mortality rates have steadily decreased since 1972, with no downward inflexion until 2006. Countries of each pair had similar healthcare services and prevalence of risk factors for breast cancer mortality but differing implementation of mammography screening, with a gap of about 10-15 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The contrast between the time differences in implementation of mammography screening and the similarity in reductions in mortality between the country pairs suggest that screening did not play a direct part in the reductions in breast cancer mortality.

Frank words about breast screening

A growing body of evidence suggests that the benefits achieved by screening for breast cancer are small, that the harm from the over-diagnosis of breast cancer arising from screening is substantial, and that, where screening is available, the observed reductions in breast cancer mortality arise largely from increased awareness and improved chemo- and hormone therapyIt is reasonable for women to choose to be screened, but only if they are completely informed about the probability of benefit versus the probability of harm. For 2000 women aged 40–49 who undergo screening for 10 years, the benefit is much smaller in terms of avoiding death from breast cancer than is the harm arising from over-diagnosis and unnecessary treatment for breast cancer, to say nothing of the increased rates of mastectomy associated with screening.These issues are not widely known to the general public.

Breast cancer management in low resource countries (LRCs): consensus statement from the Breast Health Global Initiative

The Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) brought together international breast cancer experts to discuss breast cancer in low resource countries (LRCs) and identify common concerns reviewed in this consensus statement. There continues to be a lack of public and health care professionals' awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Mastectomy continues to be the most common treatment for breast cancer; and a lack of surgeons and anesthesia services was identified as a contributing factor in delayed surgical therapy in LRCs. Where available, radiation therapy is still more likely to be used for palliation rather than for curative treatment. Tumor receptor status is often suboptimally performed due to lack of advanced pathology services and variable quality control of tissue handling and processing. Regional pathology services can be a cost-effective approach and can serve as reference, training and research centers. Limited availability of medical oncologists in LRCs often results in non-specialist providing chemotherapeutic services, which requires additional supervision and training. Palliative care is an emerging field in LRCs that requires investment in training and infrastructure development. A commitment and investment in the development of breast cancer care services by LRC governments and health authorities remains a critical need in LRCs.

The role of ipsilateral breast radiotherapy in management of occult primary breast cancer presenting as axillary lymphadenopathy

AIM

To assess the role of ipsilateral breast radiotherapy (IBR) in women with occult primary breast cancer presenting with axillary metastases (OPBC).

METHODS

Patients with axillary nodal metastases and histological diagnosis of breast cancer without palpable, mammographic or ultrasonographic evidence of a breast primary were identified from a prospectively maintained single institution database. Imaging, surgery, radiotherapy, recurrence and survival data were collected. Patients whose breast cancer primary was detected on MRI (but occult on clinical examination and other imaging) were excluded from the analyses of IBR and outcome, but were included in other exploratory analyses.

RESULTS

Fifty-five patients were included between 1975 and 2009. Median follow up was 68 months. Twenty patients had breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in addition to other imaging. A primary breast cancer was detected in 7 of these 20. 48/55 patients had no detectable breast primary. 35/48 patients (73%) were treated with radiotherapy to the conserved breast, and 13/48 (27%) with observation. Patients who had IBR had better 5 year local recurrence free survival (LRFS) (84% versus 34%, p<0.001), and relapse free survival (RFS) (64% versus 34%, p=0.05), but no difference in overall survival (OS) (84% versus 85%, p=0.2). There was no difference in 5 year LRFS (80% versus 90%: p=0.3) between patients who received radiation of 50 Gy in 25 fractions versus ≥60 Gy.

CONCLUSION

Patients with OPBC should be managed with IBR and breast conservation, or mastectomy. Our data suggest it is not necessary to irradiate the breast to more than 50 Gy in 25 fractions.

Evidence against the proposition that "UK cancer survival statistics are misleading": simulation study with National Cancer Registry data

OBJECTIVES

To simulate each of two hypothesised errors in the National Cancer Registry (recording of the date of recurrence of cancer, instead of the date of diagnosis, for registrations initiated from a death certificate; long term survivors who are never notified to the registry), to estimate their possible effect on relative survival, and to establish whether lower survival in the UK might be due to one or both of these errors.

DESIGN

Simulation study.

SETTING

National Cancer Registry of England and Wales. Population Patients diagnosed as having breast (women), lung, or colorectal cancer during 1995-2007 in England and Wales, with follow-up to 31 December 2007.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Mean absolute percentage change in one year and five year relative survival associated with each simulated error.

RESULTS

To explain the differences in one year survival after breast cancer between England and Sweden, under the first hypothesis, date of diagnosis would have to have been incorrectly recorded by an average of more than a year for more than 70% of women known to be dead. Alternatively, under the second hypothesis, failure to register even 40% of long term survivors would explain less than half the difference in one year survival. Results were similar for lung and colorectal cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Even implausibly extreme levels of the hypothesised errors in the cancer registry data could not explain the international differences in survival observed between the UK and other European countries.

Vocational rehabilitation services for patients with cancer: design of a feasibility study incorporating a pilot randomised controlled trial among women with breast cancer following surgery

Background

Due to improvements in cancer survival the number of people of working age living with cancer across Europe is likely to increase. UK governments have made commitments to reduce the number of working days lost to ill-health and to improve access to vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. Return to work for people with cancer has been identified as a priority. However, there are few services to support people to remain in or return to work after cancer and no associated trials to assess their impact. A pilot randomised controlled trial among women with breast cancer has been designed to assess the feasibility of a larger definitive trial of VR services for people with cancer.

Methods

Patients are being recruited from three clinical sites in two Scottish National Health Service (NHS) Boards for 6 months. Eligible patients are all women who are: (1) aged between 18 and 65 years; (2) in paid employment or self-employed; (3) living or working in Lothian or Tayside, Scotland, UK; (4) diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer tumour; (5) treated first with surgery. Patients are randomly allocated to receive referral to a VR service or usual care, which involves no formal employment support. The primary outcome measure is self-reported sickness absence in the first 6 months following surgery. Secondary outcome measures include changes in quality of life (FACT-B), fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue) and employment status between baseline and 6- and 12-months post-surgery. A post-trial evaluation will be conducted to assess the acceptability of the intervention among participants and the feasibility of a larger, more definitive, trial with patients with lung and prostate cancer.

Discussion

To our knowledge this is the first study to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of VR services to enable people with cancer to remain in or return to employment. The study will provide evidence to assess the relevance and feasibility of a larger future trial involving patients with breast, prostate or lung cancer and inform the development of appropriate VR services for people living with cancer.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN: ISRCTN29666484

Registration date: 07/10/10; Randomisation of first patient: 03/12/10

Increasingly strong reduction in breast cancer mortality due to screening

BACKGROUND

Favourable outcomes of breast cancer screening trials in the 1970s and 1980s resulted in the launch of population-based service screening programmes in many Western countries. We investigated whether improvements in mammography and treatment modalities have had an influence on the effectiveness of breast cancer screening from 1975 to 2008.

METHODS

In Nijmegen, the Netherlands, 55,529 women received an invitation for screening between 1975 and 2008. We designed a case-referent study to evaluate the impact of mammographic screening on breast cancer mortality over time from 1975 to 2008. A total number of 282 breast cancer deaths were identified, and 1410 referents aged 50-69 were sampled from the population invited for screening. We estimated the effectiveness by calculating the odds ratio (OR) indicating the breast cancer death rate for screened vs unscreened women.

RESULTS

The breast cancer death rate in the screened group over the complete period was 35% lower than in the unscreened group (OR=0.65; 95% CI=0.49-0.87). Analysis by calendar year showed an increasing effectiveness from a 28% reduction in breast cancer mortality in the period 1975-1991 (OR=0.72; 95% CI=0.47-1.09) to 65% in the period 1992-2008 (OR=0.35; 95% CI=0.19-0.64).

CONCLUSION

Our results show an increasingly strong reduction in breast cancer mortality over time because of mammographic screening.

Problem solving for breast health care delivery in low and middle resource countries (LMCs): consensus statement from the Breast Health Global Initiative

International collaborations like the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) can help low and middle income countries (LMCs) to establish or improve breast cancer control programs by providing evidence-based, resource-stratified guidelines for the management and control of breast cancer. The Problem Solving Working Group of the BHGI 2010 Global Summit met to develop a consensus statement on problem-solving strategies addressing breast cancer in LMCs. To better assess breast cancer burden in poorly studied populations, countries require accurate statistics regarding breast cancer incidence and mortality. To better identify health care system strengths and weaknesses, countries require reasonable indicators of true health system quality and capacity. Using qualitative and quantitative research methods, countries should formulate cancer control strategies to identify both system inefficiencies and patient barriers. Patient navigation programs linked to public advocacy efforts feed and strengthen functional early detection and treatment programs. Cost-effectiveness research and implementation science are tools that can guide and expand successful pilot programs.