Global breast cancer incidence is projected to reach more than 3.5 million cases and 1.37 million deaths by 2050, up from 2.3 million cases and 764,000 deaths in 2023, according to a study published in March in The Lancet Oncology.
Researchers from more than 1,000 academic institutions worldwide collaborated on the study, using data from population-based cancer registries, vital registration systems and interviews for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023, a March 2 news release from Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation said.
Here are three notes from the study:
- Countries and territories in the World Bank’s low-income group had the lowest age-standardized incidence rate and the highest age-standardized mortality rate, meaning low-income countries had fewer diagnosed cases of breast cancer but more people dying from the disease.
- Between 1990 and 2023, the age-standardized incidence rate increased by 147.2% in the low-income group, compared to a 1.2% increase in the high-income group.
The age-standardized mortality rate increased by 99.3% in the low-income group and decreased by 29.9% in the high-income group. - “The stable incidence and declining mortality rates of female breast cancer in high-income nations reflect success in screening, diagnosis, and treatment. In contrast, the concurrent rise in incidence and mortality in other regions signals health system deficits,” the study authors wrote. “Without effective interventions, many countries will fall short of the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative’s ambitious target of achieving an annual reduction of 2.5% in age-standardised mortality rates by 2040.”
Read the full study here.
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