United Nations: Breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38% worldwide by 2050, with a new report from the Specialised (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN agency based in Geneva, predicting annual deaths from disease will increase by 68%.
The findings published on Nature Medicine on Tuesday warn that if the current trend continues, the world will see 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year by the middle of the century.
The burden feels disproportionate in low- and middle-income countries, where access to early detection, treatment and care is limited.
“Every minute, four women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide and one woman dies of illness, and these statistics are getting worse,” said IARC scientist and co-author Dr. Joan Kim.
“The nation can mitigate or reverse these trends by adopting major prevention policies, such as recommending the ‘best purchase’ for the prevention of non-communicable diseases, and investing in early detection and treatment,” she explained.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women around the world and the second most common cancer overall.
In 2022 alone, an estimated 2.3 million new cases have been diagnosed and 670,000 deaths have been reported. However, this report highlights significant disparities across the region.
The highest incidences were recorded in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Northern Europe, but the lowest rates were found in central Africa and parts of Africa.
Meanwhile, the highest mortality rates have been reported in West Africa, where access to health care is limited, which contributes to lower results.
The relationship between breast cancer survival and economic development is severe. In high-income countries, 83% of women diagnosed are alive, while in low-income countries, more than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer die.
WHO launched the World Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021, aiming to reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 2.5% per year, preventing 2.5 million deaths by 2040.
The initiative focuses on early detection, timely diagnosis and access to quality treatments.
Dr Isabelle Sojomataram, deputy director of IARC’s cancer monitoring division, emphasized the need for high-quality cancer data to promote better policies in low-income regions.
“Continued progression of early diagnosis and improved access to treatment is essential to addressing the global gap in breast cancer and ensuring that the goal of reducing the distress and deaths caused by breast cancer is achieved by all countries around the world,” she said.
The report highlights the importance of a stronger healthcare system, increased funding for breast cancer screening and treatment, and the adoption of cost-effective prevention policies.
With an expected increase in cases and deaths, the international community faces urgent challenges. This requires action tailored to prevent millions of lives from being lost to increasingly preventable and curable diseases.