| Age (years) |
< 50 |
P |
60–69 |
P |
≥70 |
| 1991 |
96 (100%) |
|
142 (100%) |
|
169 (100%) |
| Death from BC |
34 (35.4%) |
<0.001 |
22 (15.5%) |
<0.01 |
43 (25.4%) |
| Death from other causes |
2 (2.1%) |
<0.01 |
16 (11.3%) |
<0.001 |
55 (32.5%) |
| Alive |
60 (62.5%) |
ns |
104 (73.2%) |
<0.001 |
71 (42.1%) |
| 1997/98 |
64 (100%) |
|
115 (100%) |
|
88 (100%) |
| Dead in BC |
16 (25%) |
<0.001 |
5 (7.4%) |
<0.01 |
16 (21.6%) |
| Dead other causes |
2 (3.1%) |
<0.01 |
9 (13.2%) |
<0.001 |
34 (38.6%) |
| Alive |
46 (71.9%) |
ns |
54 (79.4%) |
<0.001 |
38 (30.8%) |
Screened women aged 60-69 years were analyzed for both 1991 and 1997/98 samples for death rates from breast cancer and from other causes. Results were compared
with two unscreened age groups, i.e. those younger than 50 years of age and older than 70 years. The 1991 and 1997/98 samples showed significant reductions in breast
cancer death rates compared with both the younger (P < 0.001) and the older (P < 0.01) unscreened patient groups, notwithstanding the co-morbidities of the older
patients. The percentage of patients still alive with co-morbidities was, as expected, significantly less in the older patients. |