Women from disadvantaged backgrounds receive different treatment for breast cancer and are less likely to survive the illness than more affluent women, according to new research.
A study of 13,000 patients in the north of England found that poor women are more likely to get diagnosed in a later stage of the disease, which could lead to a higher rate of mortality.
Some 79.2 per cent of wealthy women survived breast cancer five years after diagnosis, compared with 70.9 per cent of poor women, the research revealed.
Poorer women were also found to be given radiotherapy or surgery less often, which the scientists suggested may be due to cost, treatment complications or patient choice.
Professor David Forman from Leeds University commented: "It's absolutely critical that the services are totally fair regardless of backgrounds and we need to improve education campaigns all over so that women are aware of screening processes and can spot problems with their breasts."
A total of 12,417 women died of breast cancer in the UK in 2005, according to Cancer Research UK.
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