Figure 7
Breast Cancer Mortality Ratio (percentage of those diagnosed with the disease who die of
it)
46%
46%
35%
31%
28%
28%
25%
New
United
France
Germany
Canada
Aus tralia
United
Zealand
Kingdom
States
Source: Gerard F. Anderson and Peter S. Hussey, “Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data,”
One of the most
Commonwealth Fund, October 2000.
surprising
other OECD countries (see Figure 8). Slightly
modern medicine can treat effectively. Take
features of
fewer than one in five men in the United States
cancer, for example. As Figure 7 illustrates, in
national health
diagnosed with prostate cancer dies of the disease.
New Zealand and the United Kingdom nearly
insurance
In the United Kingdom, 57 percent die. France
half of all women diagnosed with breast cancer
and Germany fare slightly better at 49 percent
die of the disease. In Germany and France,
systems is the
and 44 percent, respectively. At 30 percent and 25
almost one in three dies of the disease. By con-
amount of
percent, respectively, death rates from prostate
trast, in the United States only one in four
cancer in New Zealand and Canada are still well
women diagnosed with breast cancer dies of the
rhetoric devoted
above that of the United States.
disease. This is among the lowest rates of any
to the notion
industrial country.54
The relatively high incidence of prostate
of equality,
and breast cancer in the United States may be
Similarly, in the United States the mortality
the result of lifestyle and diet as well as genet-
rate for prostate cancer is lower than in most
especially in
relation to the
Figure 8
Prostate Cancer Mortality Ratio (percentage of those diagnosed with the disease who die
tiny amount of
of it)
progress that
57%
appears to have
60%
49%
been made.
44%
50%
35%
40%
30%
25%
30%
19%
20%
10%
0%
United France
Germany Australia
New
Canada
United
Kingdom
Zealand
States
Source: Gerard F. Anderson and Peter S. Hussey, “Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data,”
Commonwealth Fund, October 2000.
9