According to an analysis published in The Lancet Oncology, the number of new breast cancer cases is expected to rise from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million in 2050.
This corresponds to an increase of approximately one third.
The figures are based on data from more than 200 countries collected between 1990 and 2023.
In the United Kingdom, around one in seven women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, the study shows.
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In 2023, three times as many new cases were recorded among women over the age of 55 as among women aged 20 to 54.
At the same time, the incidence among younger women has increased by 29 percent since 1990.
Health inequality
The study also shows that the disease burden is increasingly shifting to low- and middle-income countries.
In these countries, the disease is often detected later, and access to treatment may be limited.
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Organizations such as Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research UK emphasize, according to The Guardian, that prevention is important in reducing the number of cases.
Lifestyle plays a role
According to the analysis, a total of 6.8 million healthy life years were lost globally in 2023 as a result of breast cancer. Of these, 28 percent can be linked to six modifiable risk factors.
These include high consumption of red meat, smoking, elevated blood sugar, high BMI, alcohol consumption, and low levels of physical activity.
The largest contribution came from high consumption of red meat, which was associated with nearly 11 percent of the years of life lost.
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Tobacco use accounted for 8 percent, while elevated blood sugar accounted for 6 percent.
Overall, the results indicate that more than a quarter of the disease burden could potentially be prevented through lifestyle changes.
Sources: The Guardian, and The Lancet Oncology.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.