Editor’s note: The IR will be running news and information about breast cancer in the weeks preceding the the Komen Montana Race for the Cure. The race will be held Saturday, May 19.

The predicted number of new cases of breast cancer is expected to be lower in 2007, according to data presented by the American Cancer Society.

The findings are published in Cancer Facts and Figures 2007 and in an accompanying article in the ACS journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Breast cancer death rates for 2007 also are expected to be less than the number reported in 2006, following the downward trend for all cancers now noted for two consecutive years. Earlier detection and better treatments are credited for these trends.

According to the newest information, the estimated numbers for 2007 in the U.S. include:

-- 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in U.S. women, (vs. 212,920 in 2006).

-- 40,910 breast cancer deaths — 40,460 women and 450 men (vs. 40,970 women and 450 men in 2006).

-- 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer (vs. 1,720 in 2006).

-- 62,030 new cases of carcinoma in situ — approximately 85 percent will be ductal carcinoma in situ (vs. 61,980 in 2006). The in situ numbers are not included in the calculations of incidence.

While fewer women are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2007, one out of every 8 women still has a lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. The death rate is decreasing, with larger decreases reported among younger women (50 years). Again, the decrease is attributed to earlier detection through screening, increased awareness, and improved treatments.

For cancer overall, it appears this is a real trend in the decrease in the number of cancer deaths. There was a decrease of 369 deaths from 2002 to 2003. In 2003 to 2004 the decrease was eight times more, with 3,014 fewer cancer deaths. The largest decrease was seen in the leading cancers: breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.

Komen Perspective

The decrease in the number of overall cancer deaths in the United States is extremely good news. The fact that screening can make a difference is once again confirmed. Advances in treatments added to early detection have helped achieve a drop in mortality rates.

From Komen for the Cure’s perspective, now is not the time to let our guard down. Now is the time to press even harder for policy change, increased funding for research, and to address systems barriers so that the very best care is available to all women. If things stay the way they are now, a significant number of new cases of breast cancer and deaths from the disease will continue to be reported.

This means 178,000 patients’ and families’ lives could be forever changed this year by a diagnosis of breast cancer, and over 40,000 patients could die from the disease.

Not only do we need to continue to fine-tune and address early detection, treatment, and disparities in order to save more lives, we must remember that as long as one person is at risk for, is diagnosed with, goes undiagnosed, or dies from lack of treatment for breast cancer, our work is not done.

We need to continue to screen regularly so that cancers are caught earlier when they are most treatable. We need to ensure that everyone has access to screening and quality treatment. The drop in incidence and mortality is not equal across all population groups, and that is not acceptable. Disparities need heightened attention; the solutions need to be global.

Making progress is not progress unless it applies to all.

With this exciting news come some questions:

As reported on the cover of the Cancer Facts and Figures 2007 document, there could be a significant difference in the reported estimates because of a change in method. The ACS feels that the 2007 estimates are accurate because they report data from 86 percent of the population for these estimates, while prior estimates were taken from about 10 percent of the population. This measurement difference could account in part for the 34,000 decrease in the number of expected breast cancer cases in 2007.

The estimates excluded carcinoma in situ (ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ). Overall, it’s estimated that about 20-30 percent of women with untreated, low-grade DCIS go on to develop invasive cancer. Including DCIS in these incidence numbers might more accurately reflect the overall burden of breast cancer.

Disparities continue to play a role in all phases of breast cancer. We will be anxious to analyze upcoming ACS reports that look specifically at minority populations when the data on minority groups becomes available.

The number of cases expected for men is higher. Why? Could increased awareness and reporting be a reason?

We all agree that the estimates for 2007 are powerful. We can expect 34,440 more women to have lives without a breast cancer diagnosis and 520 fewer women to die of breast cancer. This is a very big step in the right direction. The battle is far from over and complacency cannot be allowed. If anything, we must fight harder to capitalize on the momentum that has begun so we can ultimately experience a world without breast cancer.