The ACT and South-East NSW Breast Cancer Treatment Group studied the treatment of 2911 patients in the region with invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma between 1997 and 2007.

Health Minister Katy Gallagher said yesterday the ACT had the highest age-standardised incidence of breast cancer in Australia, with about 200 new cases in women and one in men diagnosed each year.

‘‘Despite those statistics, this report indicates that beast cancer outcomes in the ACT are excellent, both in terms of disease-free survival and overall mortality from breast cancer,’’ Ms Gallagher said.

‘‘Analysis of this data also shows that breast cancer treatment in the ACT and South-East NSW demonstrates high compliance with Australian and international guidelines on the treatment for breast cancer.’’

A nine-year analysis of the project data showed that 80 per cent of patients were alive and disease-free, 3.4 per cent were alive with a recurrence of cancer and 7.3 per cent had died due to breast cancer.

The report said that cancer had recurred in 247 of the 2371 patients with invasive disease and four of the 293 with ductal carcinoma. It also said that 176 invasive disease patients died as a consequence of their cancers.

The five-year median survival rate was 93.4 per cent but patients who underwent surgery at rural hospitals had an increased risk of dying. The majority of patients were post menopausal and more than 90 per cent had not been diagnosed with a previous cancer.

‘‘Approximately 9 per cent of patients were classed as having a potentially high risk of developing breast cancer, based on their family history,’’ the report said.

‘‘This is similar to published data that suggest up to 5 per cent of breast cancers can be attributed to the inheritance of a mutant gene.

‘‘Referral for high-risk surveillance, genetic counselling and possible genetic testing should be considered for these ‘high-risk patients’.’’ Half of the breast cancer cases were initially detected by the patient, 31 per cent by breast screening, 7 per cent by another screening program, 11 per cent by a doctor and 1 per cent by other means.

For more on this story, including details of how many newly diagnosed patients undergo surgery, reconstruction, or mastectomy, see the print edition of today’s Canberra Times.