Comparison of breast cancer survival in two populations: Ardabil, Iran and British Columbia, Canada.
BACKGROUND
Patterns in survival can provide information about the burden and severity of cancer, help uncover gaps in systemic policy and program delivery, and support the planning of enhanced cancer control systems. The aim of this paper is to describe the one-year survival rates for breast cancer in two populations using population-based cancer registries: Ardabil, Iran, and British Columbia (BC), Canada.


METHODS
All newly diagnosed cases of female breast cancer were identified in the Ardabil cancer registry from 2003 to 2005 and the BC cancer registry for 2003. The International Classification of Disease for Oncology (ICDO) was used for coding cancer morphology and topography. Survival time was determined from cancer diagnosis to death. Age-specific one-year survival rates, relative survival rates and weighted standard errors were calculated using life-tables for each country.


RESULTS
Breast cancer patients in BC had greater one-year survival rates than patients in Ardabil overall and for each age group under 60.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings support the need for breast cancer screening programs (including regular clinical breast examinations and mammography), public education and awareness regarding early detection of breast cancer, and education of health care providers.
Sadjadi
Alireza
A
1Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Kargar Street, Tehran, Iran. sadjadi@ams.ac.ir
Hislop
T Gregory
TG
Bajdik
Chris
C
Bashash
Morteza
M
Ghorbani
Anahita
A
Nouraie
Mehdi
M
Babaei
Masoud
M
Malekzadeh
Reza
R
Yavari
Parvin
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D001955:British Columbia; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D015996:Survival Rate; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult