UNITED NATIONS, Feb 25 : Breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38 percent globally by 2050, with annual deaths from the disease projected to rise by 68 percent, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialized branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), a Geneva-based UN agency.<\/p>\n
The findings, published in \u2018Nature Medicine\u2019 on Tuesday, warn that if current trends continue, the world will see 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year by mid-century.<\/p>\n
The burden will be disproportionately felt in low- and middle-income countries, where access to early detection, treatment and care remains limited.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery minute, four women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide and one woman dies from the disease, and these statistics are worsening,\u201d said Dr. Joanne Kim, an IARC scientist and co-author of the report.<\/p>\n
\u201cCountries can mitigate or reverse these trends by adopting primary prevention policies, such as WHO\u2019s recommended \u2018best buys\u2019 for noncommunicable disease prevention, and by investing in early detection and treatment,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer overall.<\/p>\n
In 2022 alone, an estimated 2.3 million new cases were diagnosed, with 670,000 deaths reported. However, the report highlights significant disparities across regions.<\/p>\n
The highest incidence rates were recorded in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Northern Europe, while the lowest rates were found in South-Central Asia and parts of Africa.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the highest mortality rates were reported in Western Africa, where limited access to healthcare contributes to poorer outcomes.<\/p>\n
The link between breast cancer survival and economic development is stark: in high-income countries, 83 percent of diagnosed women survive, whereas in low-income countries, more than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer die from it.<\/p>\n
The WHO launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021, aiming to reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 2.5 per cent per year, which could prevent 2.5 million deaths by 2040.<\/p>\n
The initiative focuses on early detection, timely diagnosis and access to quality treatment.<\/p>\n
Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of IARC\u2019s Cancer Surveillance Branch, emphasized the need for high-quality cancer data to drive better policies in lower-income regions.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinued progress in early diagnosis and improved access to treatment are essential to address the global gap in breast cancer and ensure that the goal of reducing suffering and death from breast cancer is achieved by all countries worldwide,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The report underscores the importance of stronger health systems, increased funding for breast cancer screening and treatment, and the adoption of cost-effective prevention policies.<\/p>\n
With the projected rise in cases and deaths, the international community faces an urgent challenge \u2013 one that requires coordinated action to ensure millions of lives are not lost to a disease that is increasingly preventable and treatable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 25 : Breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38 percent globally by 2050, with annual deaths from the disease projected to rise by 68 percent, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":119673,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[270],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n