Only one per cent of women know that older women - those 80 or older - have the greatest risk of developing breast cancer according to new research (Br J General Practice 2007; 57: 404-406) published today.
Worryingly, the research also found that 56 per cent of women wrongly believed that age does not affect breast cancer risk.
The strongest risk factor for breast cancer - after gender - is age. The older the woman, the higher her risk. About one in 70 women will develop breast cancer between 40 and 50 years old but for women from 80 to 90 the figure is one in 25.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the NHS Breast Screening Programme, surveyed 1,496 women who were asked "When is a woman most likely to get breast cancer?". Respondents were given a series of ten year age bands and 'age doesn't matter' from which to select their answer. Of those surveyed, 99 per cent answered incorrectly.
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