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Comparative Study
. 2011 Jul 28:343:d4411.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.d4411.

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

Philippe Autier  1 , Mathieu Boniol, Anna Gavin, Lars J Vatten
Affiliations
Comparative Study

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

Philippe Autier et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

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Fig 1 Year of first invitation for mammography screening and age adjusted (European standardised rates) breast cancer mortality in women of all ages in Sweden and Norway
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Fig 2 Participation in mammography screening and age adjusted (European standardised rates) breast cancer mortality in women of all ages in the Netherlands and Belgium
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Fig 3 First year of organised screening programme and age adjusted (European standardised rates) breast cancer mortality in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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    1. Berry DA, Cronin KA, Plevritis SK, Fryback DG, Clarke L, Zelen M, et al. Effect of screening and adjuvant therapy on mortality from breast cancer. N Engl J Med 2005;353:1784-92. - PubMed
    1. Jones AL. Reduction in mortality from breast cancer: screening and increased use of adjuvants are responsible—adjuvants more so. BMJ 2005;330:205-6. - PMC - PubMed

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