Age link to late breast cancer diagnosis

Older women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage because of a lack of knowledge about the symptoms of the disease, a new study has claimed.

Women aged between 75 and 79 are 46% more likely to get a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis than the 65-69 age group, with 70- to 74-year-olds at an increased risk of 21%, researchers found.

The report, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found the results remained consistent even when screening was taken into account, with women from deprived backgrounds more likely to get a late-stage diagnosis.

In comparison, the study team from the University of Cambridge and the Eastern Cancer Registration and Information Centre discovered that the chances of being diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer fell with age.

People aged 75 to 79 were 26% less likely to be diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer than 65 to 69-year-olds while those between the ages of 70 and 74 had an 18% lower risk factor.

Study author Dr Georgios Lyratzopoulos, based at the University of Cambridge, said: 'Patient awareness of the signs of breast cancer is known to be lower among older women and this may explain why breast cancer is diagnosed later among this age group.'

Copyright Press Association 2012