Breast cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise globally

A new analysis by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and collaborators evaluates the latest and future burden of female breast cancer globally, with a detailed analysis in about 50 countries with high-quality population-level cancer data. Published today in Nature Medicine, the study finds that on average, 1 in 20 women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and that if current rates continue, by 2050 there will be 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million breast cancer-related deaths per year, and the growth will disproportionately affect countries with a low Human Development Index (HDI).

Kim J, Harper A, McCormack V, Sung H, Houssami N, Morgan E, et al.
Global patterns and trends in breast cancer incidence and mortality across 185 countries
Nat Med. Published online 24 February 2025;
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03502-3

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