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Breast and cervical cancer on the rise in developing countries

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Summary of story from The Malta Independent Online, September 17, 2011

Experts say that for the first time breast and cervical cancers are killing more women than childbirth in developing countries.

The number of new breast cancer cases rose from about 641,000 in 1980 to 1.6 million last year.  Cervical cancer rose from approximately 378,000 new cases in 1980 to 454,000  in 2010.

A new study, published online this week in the Lancet, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington looked at 187 countries analysing their cancer registers as well as using modelling techniques.

It is estimated that 343,000 women die every year in childbirth, most in the developing world, compared with 425,000 breast cancer and 200,00 cervical cancer deaths.

One  explanation for the increase in breast cancer is that the ageing population creates more vulnerable women. But the globalization of bad habits is also a major worry – eating more fatty foods and less exercise – is driving up the numbers.

According to one of the paper’s authors, Christopher Murray: “ we’ve been getting better at helping women with breast cancer survive in the West, now we need to make that a priority for women everywhere.”

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