Higher incidence in rich countries

Breast cancer rates have doubled over the last 30 years, with high-income countries reporting more cases, according to health reports.

The UAE is considered a high-income country as defined by the World Bank.

A report issued by Cancer Research UK in June 2005 found that more than 1.1 million cases of breast cancer are now diagnosed across the world each year, compared with about 500,000 cases in 1975.

The report also found that lung cancer rates have doubled, with 1.4 million cases diagnosed annually.

Researchers said most of the increase could be explained by the increased life expectancy of women worldwide, together with the growing population.

Breast cancer, whose risk increases with age, tends to affect countries with high living standards more.

The World Health Organisation states that high-income countries see 27 per cent more breast cancer cases than low-income countries.

The average per capita income in the UAE is Dh91,000 ($24,000), according to the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The World Bank classified high-income countries as those that have a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita above Dh36,942 ($10,066).