Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Aug 26th 2005, 9:34 pm
#1
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Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA.
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Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Sorry if this subject is too depressing for a Friday!!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
Aug 26th 2005, 9:40 pm
#2
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by franc11s
Sorry if this subject is too depressing for a Friday!!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
I'm guessing that if Atlanta seems to have a higher than average rate of breast cancer, it might give even stronger evidence towards a genetic link...
Aug 26th 2005, 9:42 pm
#3
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by Wintersong
I'm guessing that if Atlanta seems to have a higher than average rate of breast cancer, it might give even stronger evidence towards a genetic link...
Aug 26th 2005, 9:44 pm
#4
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 121
Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by franc11s
Sorry if this subject is too depressing for a Friday!!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
Anyway, just wanted to vent as my wife was more upset than I had seen in a while. She was thinking it's not safe to live in Atlanta !!!
All I know is that in the UK,within weeks of turning fifty,I had my first mammogram..
I have been living in Florida since Nov 2004,and signed up with a doctor in June,she asked me to make an appointment for a mammogram...Its in October !!!!..
Redlobster
Aug 26th 2005, 9:45 pm
#5
Return of bouncing girl!
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by anotherlimey
You mean they are all inbreds?
That and the fact that they're all inbred.... (j/k
)
Aug 26th 2005, 9:46 pm
#6
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 22,105
Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Just because she happens to know a lot of people that have breast cancer, doesn't mean its an unsafe place to live. Have you done any research on the area in comparison to somewhere else? The US might have higher cancer patients than the UK, but there is a greater number of people that live here.
Aug 26th 2005, 9:46 pm
#7
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Joined: Feb 2004
Location: Atlanta, GA.
Posts: 864
Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
[QUOTE=Wintersong]Tell her not to worry. Breast cancer (in younger people anyway) apparently has a genetic link so if her family are all ok, she should be too.
QUOTE]
I actually raised that but she told me that only ONE of these had any family history that they knew of. They were all from the Atlanta area (like most people in Atlanta)..
QUOTE]
I actually raised that but she told me that only ONE of these had any family history that they knew of. They were all from the Atlanta area (like most people in Atlanta)..
Aug 26th 2005, 9:46 pm
#8
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by Wintersong
Lol no. I knew someone would get the wrong end of the stick on that one!
Originally Posted by Wintersong
I mean that probably over the history of the state (less so now, maybe) people have tended to stay in the area rather than migrate out. Hence if there was some genetic tendency, it would remain there rather than be spread around the rest of the US.
Aug 26th 2005, 9:47 pm
#9
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by AmerLisa
The US might have higher cancer patients than the UK, but there is a greater number of people that live here.
Depends on the source of the statistics I guess.
Aug 26th 2005, 9:48 pm
#10
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
I wasn't really implying it was Atlanta, that's why I streteched this out to the forum to see if any of you guys who've lived in the USA have seen anything like these high numbers ?
Aug 26th 2005, 9:48 pm
#11
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by anotherlimey
You can count on me.
That still makes it sound like they are all inbred.
That still makes it sound like they are all inbred.
Aug 26th 2005, 9:51 pm
#12
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by Wintersong
In a way I guess, but I certainly wasn't suggesting that they are incestuous. Don't want anyone to get angry with me here!
Aug 26th 2005, 10:05 pm
#13
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Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by franc11s
I actually raised that but she told me that only ONE of these had any family history that they knew of. They were all from the Atlanta area (like most people in Atlanta)..
As a matter of interest, how old are these people you know who have breast cancer? The genetic link is only valid up to a certain age I believe. I don't know what that age is though.
There was a study which showed that Japanese women have a lower incidence than American women, but that Japanese women who have moved over to the US have a similar incidence to their American counterparts, suggesting that diet and lifestyle play a big part. I know this isn't going to help your wife much, but it's interesting nonetheless, especially after all the studies showing a genetic link. Maybe it's just that people who are genetically related tend to share similar dietary and lifestyle habits?
Aug 27th 2005, 1:07 am
#14
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Posts: 11,061
Re: Cancer rates in USA versus UK
Originally Posted by franc11s
Sorry if this subject is too depressing for a Friday!!!
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
My wife called me earlier and told me yet another one of the people she walks with at the YMCA has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This was the 9th in her group of 20 in the last 10 years !!! She was actually very concerned, not about the YMCA but the fact that no-one in the UK she knows has Breast Cancer yet so many of the people she knows here in Atlanta do !!!
I tried to put her mind at rest and did some research. The rates I found was not that much difference (about 10%) between the UK and USA but I can understand her point. We don't know anyone in the UK between friends and family, let alone 9 !!! We have lived in Atlanta 10 years and do have more friends here but even so.
Has anyone else found a similar disrepancy here? I told my wife that she must remember that a lot of her friends are older (because adults have kids later here). We had our kids here at age 25 whereas most of her friends were 35 and up !!).. ALso, the US does a lot more anual screening than the UK (although that thought is depressing for UK residents!!!).
I had a friend (she's still alive but we're not close) in the UK and her mother had breast cancer twice and survived plus the friend's aunty had breast cancer. So, there's a greater risk for her to get breast cancer because of the family link.
Anyway, the incidence of breast cancer may be perceived to be higher in the US because more women get breast exams/mammograms, are diagnosed and survive.
Here's a page that describes the incidence of breast cancer in the EU-
http://telescan.nki.nl/iarc.html
This page shows a table of the incidence of breast cancer and deaths from '73-'92
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00043942.htm
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