(RxWiki News) In many parts of the world, breast cancer may not be quite as deadly as it used to be, according to a new study.
This study, presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, found that breast cancer mortality rates appear to be declining in many countries.
For many, that's great news. But the research also found a few notable exceptions. Deaths from breast cancer appeared to increase in South Korea and some Latin American countries, such as Brazil and Colombia.
In the United States, the breast cancer mortality rate decreased by 42 percent, from 22 deaths per 100,000 women in 1987 to '89 to 14 deaths per 100,000 in 2011 to '13. England and Wales saw an even sharper drop in mortality.
The International Prevention Research Institute researchers behind this study also found that mortality decreased more for younger women than it did for older women.
Ask your doctor about breast cancer screening and how to self-examine for breast cancer.
This study looked at data from 47 countries, and 39 of those saw decreases in breast cancer mortality over the last few decades. The study authors noted that data was not available for many African, Asian and Latin American countries.
Research presented at conferences may not have been peer-reviewed.
The International Prevention Research Institute funded this research. Information on potential conflicts of interest was not available at the time of publication.
