Breast Cancer Situation in Singapore

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women worldwide. It is also the second leading cause of death in women. In 2004, breast cancer claimed about 519, 000 lives across the globe. 

According to the Singapore Cancer Society, Cancer is the top cause of death in Singapore; 1 in 3 Singaporeans dies of cancer; and 14 people die from cancer every day; while 28 people are diagnosed with cancer every day.

Also, The Singapore National Registry of Disease Office provided the following statistics:

·           Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Singapore.

·           A total of 7781 new cases were diagnosed from 2006-2010.

·           The age-standardised incidence rate of newly diagnosed breast cancers in females increased three fold from 21.5 per 100,000 in 1971-75 to 60.7 per 100,000 in 2006-2010 .

·           The lifetime risk for breast cancer is 6.45%, which means that 1 out of 16 women will develop breast cancer by the age of 75.

·           From 2006-2010, the age-specific incidence rate increased sharply from age 30 onwards, and peaked in the 60-69 age group. The rate then gradually declined in the 70 and above age groups.

·           The median age at diagnosis for breast cancer was 53 years. In accordance with current cancer screening guidelines, routine screening should begin at age 503.

·           In general, more Singapore women were diagnosed with breast cancer at the early stages (I & II), as opposed to the later stages (III & IV) from 2006 – 2010 (Figure 4).

·           The age-specific rates of stage I and II breast cancer increased from 20 years onwards to peak in the 60-69 age group, after which the rates dropped sharply.

·           For stages III & IV, the age-specific incidence rate increased from age 30 onwards, and started to stabilise from age 50 onwards.

·           Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in cancers affecting women in Singapore.

·           The age-standardised mortality rate for breast cancer has increased from 8.5 per 100,000 in 1971-75 to 14.1 per 100,000 populations per year in 2006-2010.

·           The improvement in survival from breast cancer may be related to early detection of cancer through screening and to the advances of cancer treatment in recent years.

·           Women aged 50-69 are advised to go for screening mammograms once every two years. Those aged 40-49 should discuss with their doctor on the risks and benefits of screening.

·           BreastScreen Singapore (BSS) programme offers subsidised mammography for Singapore citizens and permanent residents at participating centres.

How to Avoid Getting Breast Cancer-When Prevention is the Best Cure

Women who adopt proven and effective breast cancer preventive measures are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. In contrast, women who fail to adopt breast cancer preventive measures are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with the disease. There is an excellent e-book about breast cancer prevention titled: How to Avoid Getting Breast Cancer-When Prevention is the Best Cure.

This book presents excellent breast cancer preventive measures, as approved by the most trusted breast cancer research institutions around the world. Considering the enormous complications associated with remedying breast cancer, all experts are unanimous on the truth that when it comes to breast cancer, prevention is the best cure. To view or download this book, click here.

  To view or download this book,click here.