Indicator Profile of Breast Cancer Deaths
Why Is This Important?
Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in U.S. women (excluding basal and squamous cell skin cancers) and a leading cause of female cancer deaths in both Utah and the U.S. Nationally, deaths from lung cancer surpass deaths from breast cancer; however, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Utah women. Deaths from breast cancer can be substantially reduced if the tumor is discovered at an early stage. Mammography is currently the best method for detecting cancer early. Clinical trials have demonstrated that routine screening with mammography can reduce breast cancer deaths by 20% to 30% in women aged 50 to 69 years (1-6), and by about 17% in women aged 40 to 49 years (7,8).We do not yet know exactly what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain risk factors are linked to the disease. Some of these risk factors include age, socio-economic status, exposure to ionizing radiation, family history, alcohol, and hormonal influence. Some studies indicate that environmental contaminants such as benzene and organic solvents can cause mammary tumors, but clear links have not been established.
Data Notes
Codes used to define female breast cancer: ICD-9 174, ICD-10 C50. Age-adjusted to U.S. 2000 standard population.Data Sources
Utah Death Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health; Population Estimates: Utah Governor's Office of Planning and Budget; National Vital Statistics System, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;Other Views
- by Age Group, Utah, 2006-2008
- by Local Health District, Utah, 2006-2008
- by Small Area, Utah, 2004-2008
- by Ethnicity, Utah, 2000-2006
- by Race, Utah, 2000-2006
Definition
The rate of death from cancer of the breast in Utah or U.S. per 100,000 women.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | The number of deaths due to breast cancer among Utah or U.S. women for a given time period (ICD-9: 174 and ICD-10: C50). |
| Denominator: | The female population of Utah or U.S. for a given time period. |
Page Content Updated On 10/07/09,
Published on 10/28/09
