The number of women dying from breast cancer has dropped to a new record low after falling below 12,000 a year for the first time since records began.
The previous lowest figure had been recorded in 1971 - the year records began the numbers have risen steadily year-on-year peaking during the late 1980s.
The figures come despite rising rates of diagnoses with experts saying better care and screening is saving lives.
Cancer Research UK say "It's incredibly encouraging to see fewer women dying from breast cancer now than at any time in the last 40 years, despite breast cancer being diagnosed more often.
Adding research has played a crucial role in this progress leading to improved treatments and better management for women with the disease.
The cancer charity credit the introduction of the NHS breast screening programme as having contributed to the fall, as women are more likely to survive the earlier cancer is spotted.
Breast cancer has become the most common cancer in the UK with over 45,000 women diagnosed every year with the disease a 50% rise in 25 years.
The number of deaths peaked in 1989 when 15,625 women died from the disease rates fell by between 200 and 400 deaths each year from 1990 through to 2004, with a slight rise in 2005 followed by two years of falls.
Although this is good news the big worry is that too many women are still contracting the disease which shows increases year-on-year."
The rise in the rate of breast cancer diagnosis has been put down to a variety of factors including obesity and alcohol consumption.
Tagged in Breast Cancer Health