Descriptive epidemiology of breast and cervical cancer in Costa Rica

Summary

The mortality and incidence of breast and cervical cancer in Costa Rica are studied and compared with data from white women from the United States of America. Mortality from breast cancer in Costa Rica shows a certain tendency to increase in the last two decades, while that caused by uterine cancer has been reduced by approximately half in 15 years. The cumulative risk of developing breast cancer is approximately 50% lower than in the United States, while the risk of developing invasive cervical cancer is four times higher in situ and is similar in both countries. The National Tumor Registry of Costa Rica, created in 1977, is a reliable source of information on the incidence of these cancers.

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