Eradicating Breast Cancer: Longevity Impact on Kuwaiti Women

OBJECTIVE: To explore salient trends in incidence and mortality from breast cancer among Kuwaiti females and to quantify the number of years that could be saved if breast cancer deaths were eliminated. METHODS: Appling life table technique, the paper constructs a bridged, multiple decrement and cancer-elimination life tables for Kuwaiti females. Data sources include Kuwait Cancer Control Center Registry along with vital statistics on mortality by age groups, nationality, and causes of death according to ICD-10 revision. RESULT: The study finds that, without interventions, nearly 2.5% of Kuwaiti female live births are expected to die from breast cancer. By contrast, if this disease were to be completely eradicated, Kuwaiti females are expected to gain half a year of life expectancy at birth. Likewise, a 10% reduction in deaths attributed to breast cancer would produce a gain of 11 days of life at age 30. The gain would augment to 51 days when death is reduced by 50%. Kuwaiti females aged 50 would add almost 5 months when breast cancer is eradicated, while a 20 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality would raise their life expectancy by 26 days. CONCLUSION: The results strongly support policy interventions of Kuwait’s government by instituting a well-documented public health policy for chronic diseases and mitigating the increase of cancer prevalence.