SWINDON CANCER APPEAL: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, with 38,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK.

Nationally it accounts for 30 per cent of all new cancer cases.

One in nine women in the UK are at risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime.

Rates of breast cancer differ widely with age, with approximately 80 per cent occurring in post-menopausal women. It is rare in women under 30.

Men can also get breast cancer although it is rare - with around 250 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK.

Britain has one of the highest death rates of breast cancer in the world. More than 27 out of every 100,000 women in the UK will die of breast cancer, compared to less than seven in Japan, with the lowest incidence.

There are no clear reasons why the disease develops.

It is believed that hormones are involved and women who have their first child late in life or who have no children are more at risk. Women who start their periods at a young age and reach their menopause late are also at risk.

Other factors which may be involved include long term use of contraceptive pills before first pregnancy, high fat diet, low fruit and vegetable intake, high alcohol intake and hormone replacement therapy.

Most screen-detected cancers are at an early stage with a five-year survival rate of more than 90 per cent.

It has been estimated that 30 per cent of the reduction in breast cancer mortality in England and Wales is due to screening.

More than 1.5 million women in England, aged between 50 and 64, were invited for screening in 1999 to 2000 and 1.1 million women were screened. 6,955 cases of cancer were diagnosed. Almost half of these cancers were too small to be felt with the human hand.

Particularly large improvements in survival rates in women aged between 50 and 64 can be attributed to the impact of the NHS breast screening programme.

Since 1988, the NHS Breast Screening Programme has invited women aged between 50 and 64 for routine three-yearly mammograms. Women over 65 can be seen every three years at their request.

All women should know what their breasts look and feel like normally, and check them regularly in order to detect any changes as early as possible.

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment offers the best chance of a successful outcome.

More women are living longer with breast cancer.

The five-year survival is 68 per cent for women diagnosed in years 1986 to 1990 and 74 per cent in 1991 to 1993 for patients in England and Wales.

There were 13,092 deaths from breast cancer in the UK in 1999.

Mortality rates have fallen significantly since the late 1980s, probably due to earlier detection and improved treatment.

It is estimated that about a third of the reduction in breast cancer mortality between 1990 and 1998 was due directly to the NHS national breast-screening programme.

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