This is a story that appeared in several media outlets this morning, and it is interesting how some choose to present. It is about breast cancer in Australian women. Now, here’s a blip from the Sydney Morning Herald, and take note of the order of the news items:

MORE women are surviving breast cancer than ever before, with higher rates of early detection and advances in treatments ensuring 86 per cent are alive five years after diagnosis.

Yet the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise and it remains the cancer that kills most women in Australia.

Figures released today from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show there were 113,801 women and 730 men alive who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 20 years. The report estimated that 13,261 women and 100 men would be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, with rates for women more than doubling in the past 20 years.

In fact, the title of the article is “More Women Surviving Breast Cancer,” and yes, that is good news. But almost as an afterthought, they mention the most crucial component–that the rate of breast cancer has DOUBLED over the past 20 years. Duh…is this doublespeak or what? It’s great that more women are surviving the trauma of breast cancer, but isn’t the most important story the rising rates? And why are these rates rising so dramatically?

I guess they figured that they would begin with a “let’s feel good and warm and fuzzy” type message, and then slip in the diabolical stats while no one is looking.

Now, here’s a second article from the Australian:

Breast cancer rates double in 20 years
October 16, 2006
NEW figures show breast cancer rates have doubled in 20 years but still not enough women are having regular mammograms Health Minister Tony Abbott says.

While new figures showed more women were surviving the leading cause of female cancer deaths, Mr Abbott said statistics showed only 56 per cent of women were having regular mammograms.

“I’m a little disappointed that so many of us, out of a misguided sense of stoicism, don’t go to the doctor as soon as we detect problems,” Mr Abbott said.

Mr Abbott launched a national breast cancer report when he spoke to more than 800 people at the National Breast Cancer Centre’s (NBCC) Pink Ribbon Breakfast in Sydney this morning.

“It’s very important that the message go out from this room to all of those women who aren’t here this morning – go and get screened and if there is a problem go and see the doctor because the last thing we want is more tragic statistics in the months and years ahead,” he said.

Releasing the results of the national report into breast cancer from the NBCC and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Mr Abbott said breast cancer rates had more than doubled over the past 20 years.

Notice, they begin with the real story of the day, that breast cancer rates are at an alarming high. The better survival rate of breast cancer patients isn’t even mentioned until two-thirds into the story. While neither article is great journalism, the second story is certainly more focused on what is the more important issue to highlight.

There are over 50 news stories reporting on this, and it is interesting (and a little disturbing) to see how they twist the news. One short article from eCanada Now doesn’t even mention the doubling in breast cancer rates, but makes it a hip-hip-hooray kind of anecdote, about how breast cancer patients have increased their survival. Not one peep about the dire increase in the incidence of the disease.

Another silly article from an Australian paper begins by telling us how Western lifestyles having fewer babies are the main contributors to the doubling of breast cancer rates in the past 20 years, and then rushes off to talk about the greatly improved survival stats. Only at the end of the article, does it bring back the doubling of rates.

While it is fine to mention that some women are surviving the disease, and the odds have improved, a better service would be to focus on the doubling of rates and offer some explanations as to why this is happening. Couldn’t any of these journalists find any physicians or scientists to interview about increasing cancer rates? And offer these reasons to the public? Let people know that breast cancer just doesn’t happen by the throw of the dice, but there are some real, identified risk factors.