Jordan- Breast cancer cases drop by 8.6% in 2011 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Approximately 925 breast cancer cases were registered among Jordanian women in 2011, an 8.6 per cent drop from 2010 when the number stood at 1,012, according to official figures.

Mohammad Tarawneh, director of the health ministry's non-communicable diseases directorate, on Monday said breast cancer cases constituted 37.8 per cent of all cancer cases among women in Jordan last year, but declined to comment on the total number of cases registered among women in 2011.

He noted that the median age at diagnosis for breast cancer among Jordanian females in 2011 was 50 years, while the rate of prevalence was 34 per 100,000 women.

According to figures he presented, 30 per cent of the cases were among women in the 40-49 age bracket, 25 per cent in the 50-59 age bracket and 1.5 per cent among women 30 years old and younger.

The health ministry official also noted that 35 per cent of the cases were discovered in stages three and four.

Official figures indicate that patients whose breast cancer is detected in stage one have a 98 per cent survival rate, while in stages two, three and four the rate drops to 88 per cent, 49 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively.

Tarawneh also noted that 4,103 women underwent mammograms during last year's October campaign, of whom 2,323 tested negative, 1,010 had benign tumours, 88 tested positive, 166 had an increased risk of breast cancer, while 31 required more tests.

The October campaign is part of the international Breast Cancer Awareness Month marked in October each year, which aims at combating the disease and encouraging women to undergo mammograms and perform breast self-exams.

Tarawneh made the remarks at a press conference to announce the 4th Breast Cancer Media Award, which seeks to create awareness on the importance of early detection through the media.

Entries for the award, organised by the Jordan Breast Cancer Programme (JBCP) and sponsored by the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance, should be submitted between June 18 and September 18, 2012. Journalists working in print, online and audiovisual media are eligible to take part.

Speaking at the launch of the award, JBCP Director Nisreen Qatamesh noted that a study conducted following last year's October campaign showed that 38 per cent of the male respondents encouraged their wives to undergo the breast cancer screening, while 70 per cent of the females underwent the mammograms without the encouragement of a male relative.

The study, conducted in cooperation with the Department of Statistics, covered 1,000 Jordanian men and women in the 20-60 age bracket from across the Kingdom, according to Qatamesh.

The slogan for last year's October campaign, which appealed to husbands to encourage their wives to undergo screening, was: "She'll listen to you... Encourage her to get screened."

Meanwhile, Qatamesh noted that the JBCP has launched a mobile mammogram unit which is currently in Mafraq Governorate, adding that in one month mammograms were conducted for 250 women.