FOUR out of five people diagnosed with breast cancer in the county are still alive five years later, but there is still “room for improvement” according to primary care trust NHS Oxfordshire.

A Europe-wide study showed mortality rates for the disease in England and Wales fell by 35 per cent between 1989 and 2006.

The research from France’s International Prevention Research Institute showed the number of breast cancer deaths in England and Wales fell from 41.6 to 28.2 per 100,000 people. In Oxfordshire, the mortality rate for 2006 to 2008 was 28.5 per 100,000 women.

Every year in the county about 450 new cases are diagnosed and about 120 people die from the disease, according to the trust.

It said 94 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the Thames Valley were still alive a year later and 80 per cent survived after five years.

Dr Tom Porter, a consultant in public health at NHS Oxfordshire, said: “These figures are generally very encouraging and suggest that breast cancer is being picked up earlier and treated better.

“However, they do show there is still room for improvement when compared with other European countries. We encourage all women to be ‘breast aware’ and visit their GP if they notice any changes to their breasts.

“The national breast cancer screening programme, which currently screens women aged 50 to 70 every three years, also helps find cancers early, and we encourage women to take part when invited.”

Dr Tess McPherson, 38, from Summertown, Oxford, was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2005.

She said: “You can only go by your own experience and mine was incredibly positive. All the treatment was absolutely brilliant.”

Deb Hunt, 45, from Middle Barton, was treated for breast cancer at the Horton and Churchill hospitals two years ago and will be trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa next month in aid of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.

She said: “It’s really good news. The treatment and early detection is key and in Oxfordshire in particular that’s very good. Early detection is still the absolute key and something that everyone involved with cancer is keen to highlight.”

Anne-Marie Lanham, 51, from Abingdon, was diagnosed with the disease three years ago.

She said: “I think the fact survival rates are improving is pleasing, but in many ways it’s not a shock.

“People like Cancer Research UK are constantly striving for the best treatments and to know more about the different types of cancer.

“You see it in action in Oxford. You get such tremendous care and up-to-date research.

“During my treatment I was constantly being updated about new things and survival rates.

“I have no experience of what it’s like outside Oxfordshire but one gets the feeling it’s very good here with the combination between what’s provided by the health service, Cancer Research and the research done at the university.”

  • For more information about the screening programme visit your GP or see the NHS cancer screening website.