Health Care Accessibility and Breast Cancer Mortality in Europe

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cause of death, due to malignant neoplasms in women worldwide. The nature of the symptoms associated with breast cancer depends on the stage of the disease. In this case, any cancerous changes in the initial phase of the disease can only be detected during imaging tests. Participation in mammography screening can reduce breast cancer mortality by up to 40%, if only 70% of the eligible population participates in preventive programs. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of accessibility to health care resources on breast cancer mortality. Methods: Eurostat aggregated health care data was extracted. Hierarchical cluster analysis of average breast cancer mortality identified four groups of countries with similar mortality rates and trends. The data was then analyzed, in terms of access to health care. Results: It was observed that the higher the financial expenditure on health care and the better the health care accessibility, the lower the mortality rates of breast cancer. Conclusions: There are examples indicating that the studied elements are not the only factors affecting the improvement of population health. The authors would like to emphasize the need to influence lifestyle factors, direct cancer risk, and introduce a multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer prevention.

Disease burden of breast cancer and risk factors in Europe 44 countries, 1990-2019: findings of the global burden of disease study 2019

“…This evidence precisely explains the significant decrease in age-standardized breast cancer mortality rates and DALY rates in Western Europe. The high level of medical care in this region results in a concentration of breast cancer mortality among middle-aged and elderly populations, ultimately improving and extending the lifespan of breast cancer patients ( 11 ). In contrast, the burden of breast cancer in Eastern and Central Europe is concentrated among the middle-aged population, with a decrease in the burden among the elderly.…”

Interest in mammography across European countries: a retrospective “Google Trends” comparative study

“…Breast cancer mortality is perhaps even more complex to predict than screening coverage, with several confounding socioeconomic factors involved ( 21 - 23 ). The results of the present study might be linked to the trend of mortality rates.…”

“…A recent study identified four clusters of breast cancer mortality. Cyprus, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia were included in the cluster of countries with increased mortality ( 21 ). Conversely, the countries with the greatest increase in online interest in mammography, such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, were classified into the cluster with a high mortality decline.…”

“…Conversely, the countries with the greatest increase in online interest in mammography, such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, were classified into the cluster with a high mortality decline. However, in the latter cluster, there were also countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland) showing lower growth of online interest ( 21 ).…”

Breast cancer in Poland – the urgent need for effective prevention

“…Poland belongs to the group of countries where the risk of breast cancer is high and is characterized by an upward trend [1]. The number of newly registered cases continues to increase, from 12,512 patients in 2000 to 17,647 in 2020 (Figure 1) [2].…”