Women living in poorer areas are significantly more likely to die of breast cancer than those living in more affluent areas, the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has highlighted.

According to findings from a recent study by the National Cancer Registry of Ireland, women in the most deprived areas are 33% more likely to die from the disease than those in wealthier areas.

The ICS described this as a ‘breast cancer gap' and urged the Government to take action. It noted that one of the main reasons for this gap is the fact that those in poorer areas tend to be diagnosed with breast cancer much later on and therefore have a lower chance of survival.

"The stark truth is that the most deprived women in society are significantly more likely to die of breast cancer than the most affluent. Breast cancer affects thousands of women across Irish society, with almost 3,000 new cases every year. However this breast cancer survival gap is very worrying and clearly measures will have to be taken to ensure that women in poorer communities have an equal chance of surviving the disease," commented the ICS's head of advocacy, Kathleen O'Meara.

She noted that while more women are getting breast cancer, in general, more women are also surviving the disease. However, this positive trend ‘hides a worrying gap in survival rates between the least and most deprived women in Ireland'.

"Despite the strides made in diagnosis, treatment and improvements in outcomes in the last few decades, Ireland has become a very unequal society when it comes to health problems, particularly cancer and access to healthcare," Ms O'Meara insisted.

She said that research has shown that people in disadvantaged communities ‘are in general less well aware of the symptoms of cancer'.

Also speaking about this issue, consultant medical oncologist at Tallaght Hospital, Dr Janice Walshe, said that numerous studies suggest that patients ‘with the lowest socioeconomic status tend to present with more advanced breast cancer'.

Some have more aggressive tumours and they are less likely to access radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This leads to a greater likelihood of death from breast cancer, she said.

However, the solution to this problem is ‘complex', she noted.

"Interestingly, similar observations have also been made in countries where universal health care is offered so the impact of socioeconomic status is not one of access to diagnostics and therapeutics alone. Variables such as the level of patient education, other co-existing medical conditions, and the potential loss of income and increased expenses that commonly occur while one is undergoing therapy are undoubtedly of great significance," she said.

She insisted that as a society, ‘it is incumbent upon us to identify the underlying factors leading to these differences in outcomes so we can correct these disparities and ensure the best outcomes for all patient groups'.

The ICS is highlighting this issue as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout October.