Breast Cancer mortality rising among 55 to 64 year olds

While 77 women in this age group lost their life to this disease between 2000 and 2005, the number of deaths in the following five years totalled 120.

And while a third of breast cancer deaths between 2005 and 2009 occurred within the 55 to 64 age group, women in this age group represented only 21% of all breast cancer deaths between 2000 and 2005.

According to the Health Ministry, this is the only apparent statistical trend related to breast cancer deaths.

“The only notable apparent trend is within the 55-64 group, however, one has to keep in mind that given the small numbers involved, one would require a longer period of observation to establish whether a trend is being sustained or not”.

A positive aspect noted by the Health Ministry is that the recommended age groups for breast screening coincide very well with age groups who are most at risk of breast cancer.

The Malta Breast Screening Programme provides free breast screening every three years for all women aged 50 to 60 years. Around 14,000 women are being invited for screening each year.

The second most at risk age group were women aged between 55 and 64. Only 5% of those who died of breast cancer in the past five years were under the age of 45 but 15% were aged between 45 and 55 – an age group which is not entirely covered by the breast screening programme.

Screening is restricted to over 50-year-olds because mammography is not as effective in pre-menopausal women, as the density of the breast tissue makes it more difficult to detect problems. The incidence of breast cancer is also much lower in the pre-50 age group.

According to the demographic review in 2009, deaths due to breast cancer went up by 44% over 2008. According to the National Office of Statistics this was mainly due to a sharp increase in deaths caused by breast cancer among women between 45 and 54 andwomen aged between 65 and 74, when compared to 2008. 2009 registered the highest number of breast cancer deaths since 2000.

But these statistical fluctuations in total figures do not have any statistical relevance.

“Given the small size of Malta, the number fluctuate wildly. This may give rise to apparent rises or falls from one year to the next that are simply due to random variation,” the Ministry spokesperson explained.

A total of 753 women have lost their life to breast cancer during the past decade.