Unité de recherche en santé des populations, Hôpital St-Sacrement du Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire de Québec, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Qc, Canada, G1S 4L8.
Breast cancer mortality has been declining in many countries including Canada because of improvements in survival. This study attempts to explain observed trends in breast cancer survival with special attention given to the role of improvements in early detection and treatment.
This study is based on 4,312 women diagnosed with primary invasive breast carcinoma treated in a Canadian breast center between 1976 and 2000 and followed to the end of 2001. Observed and relative survival rates were calculated. Multivariate relative survival regression models were used to assess trends in breast cancer survival over the study period.