The breast cancer related burden of morbidity and mortality in six European countries: the European Disability Weights project.

BACKGROUND

The burden of breast cancer expressed in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) was compared for six European countries and its sensitivity to different sources of variation examined.

METHODS

DALYs were calculated using country-specific epidemiological data and European Disability Weights. Epidemiological data for 1996 were obtained for Denmark, England and Wales, France, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Disability weights were empirically derived.

RESULTS

Denmark and The Netherlands lost the largest number of DALYs (approximately 1100 DALYs per 100,000 women). They were followed by England (87% of the Danish burden), France (72%), Sweden (68%) and Spain (67%). 70 to 80% of the burden was caused by mortality. Cross-national variation in disease epidemiology was the largest source of variation in the burden of breast cancer. Variation in disability weights and uncertainty in epidemiological data had smaller effects.

CONCLUSION

To compare the burden of breast cancer and most other types of cancer mortality rates provide sufficient information.