DEATH rates from breast cancer have fallen faster in the UK than any other major European country, experts said.
Research from 30 countries found large drops in the number of women dying, particularly in the UK and Iceland.
Typically, death rates from breast cancer fell by almost a fifth across the countries, ranging from a 45% reduction in Iceland to a 17% increase in Romania.
England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, had the second, third, and fourth largest decreases of 35%, 29%, and 30%, coming after Iceland.
In France, Finland, and Sweden, death rates fell by 11%, 12% and 16% in comparison.
The study contradicts claims that survival rates in the UK are worse than in other western European countries. Experts said the latest research was much more reliable.
The study, published online in the British Medical Journal, was led by a team at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.
