[ReadingScience] Was Angelina Jolie's Mastectomy Premature?

'The Terror of Breast Cancer' Losing Its Power
Impact of Early Screening and Advances in Treatment
UK Mortality Rate Cut by One-Third in the Last 20 Years

Breast cancer is a source of fear for women. In 2013, global star actress Angelina Jolie revealed that she underwent a mastectomy due to a family history of the disease. However, with recent advances in early screening and treatment techniques, the mortality rate has decreased, diminishing its threat. Social awareness has also improved, and breast reconstruction surgery has advanced to minimize side effects. A recent study from the UK clearly reflects this reality. The mortality rate of breast cancer patients has decreased to one-third over the past 20 years. Although the fatality rate in Korea is lower than in the UK, the incidence of breast cancer is rapidly increasing due to the westernization of diet and lifestyle, making this study worth noting.

Angelina Jolie [Image source=Angelina Jolie Instagram]

A research team from the University of Oxford in the UK published this study on the 23rd (local time) in the international journal Nature. The study tracked over 500,000 breast cancer patients over the past 20 years and found that the mortality rate significantly dropped from about 15% to around 5%.

The team used data from the UK National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service to track 512,447 female breast cancer patients diagnosed between 1993 and 2015, following their 5-year mortality rates up to December 2020. Breast cancer tends to have a high mortality rate within five years after diagnosis, which then decreases. The results showed that over time, the mortality rate of breast cancer patients significantly declined. Women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1993 and 1999 had a 5-year mortality rate of 14.4%. However, this rate decreased over time. Between 2010 and 2015, the 5-year mortality rate for breast cancer patients was only 4.9%. Age and early screening status were not variables; mortality rates decreased across all age groups and among patients diagnosed early through screening as well as those who were not.

The exact reasons for this significant reduction in mortality are not yet clearly identified. However, in the UK, awareness of breast cancer has increased since the 1990s, and regular preventive screening services have expanded. Additionally, surgical and chemical treatment methods, as well as reconstructive surgery techniques, have advanced, and social perceptions have improved, leading to more proactive treatment.

The research team expects that the fatality rate among breast cancer patients today is at a similar level. They stated, "The prognosis for female breast cancer patients has significantly improved since the 1990s, and most patients are expected to become long-term cancer survivors. However, a small portion of risk remains substantial."

Meanwhile, breast cancer is rapidly increasing in Korea. Since 2016, it has consistently ranked first among major cancers in women. From 2010 to 2020, the incidence increased by 112.1%. Causes include longer exposure to female hormones (early menarche and late menopause) and an increasing number of women with no childbirth or breastfeeding history. Advanced maternal age and alcohol consumption are also factors contributing to breast cancer. However, the survival rate is high. As of 2019, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 98% when it has not metastasized to other organs and 90% when it has. This places Korea among the top ranks in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.