Dr Péter Gaál and Dr Tamás Joó, colleagues at MEMT, contributed as co-authors to a major international study examining the global burden of breast cancer. Published in The Lancet Oncology, the study provides a comprehensive assessment of trends in breast cancer incidence, mortality and disease burden between 1990 and 2023, with forecasts extending to 2050.
Drawing on data from 204 countries and territories, the researchers found that breast cancer remains a major global public health challenge. In 2023, an estimated 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide, while approximately 764,000 women died from the disease. Breast cancer accounted for an estimated 24.1 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), a measure reflecting years of healthy life lost due to illness, disability and premature death.
The findings also highlight substantial inequalities between countries. Although breast cancer incidence is higher in high-income countries, mortality rates are particularly high in low-income settings. While mortality has declined in high-income countries, reflecting progress in screening, diagnosis and treatment, both incidence and mortality have increased in many lower-income regions.
The study also examined potentially modifiable risk factors. Dietary risks, tobacco use and high fasting plasma glucose were among the factors associated with the global burden of breast cancer. Overall, more than a quarter of breast cancer DALYs in 2023 were linked to modifiable risk factors.
According to the forecasts, the number of new breast cancer cases among women could rise to approximately 3.56 million per year by 2050, while annual deaths could reach 1.37 million. The authors stress that effective prevention, timely diagnosis, access to treatment and decisive action to reduce inequalities will be essential to addressing the growing burden of the disease.
The full article is available here: Global, regional, and national burden of breast cancer among females, 1990–2023, with forecasts to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023