Breast cancer has become the world’s most common cancer, according to a new report by the Lancet Commission. Around 7.8 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in five years till the end of 2020 and about 685,000 women died from the disease the same year, it said. Despite significant improvements in research, treatment, and survival in breast cancer, the report revealed that “gross inequities persist, and many patients are being systematically left behind.”
Low- and middle-income countries are being “disproportionately affected”, the commission estimated. Despite significant improvements in research, treatment, and survival in breast cancer, the report revealed that “gross inequities persist, and many patients are being systematically left behind.” By 2040, deaths due to the disease will be a million a year, it added.
The Lancet report pointed to “glaring inequities” and suffering from symptoms, despair and financial burden due to breast cancer, which are often “hidden and inadequately addressed.” Although breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, gaps in knowledge continue to prevent effective action, the researchers said.
The Commission stated that the number of people with metastatic breast cancer is still unknown and this is hampering the provision of treatment and care. Even though 20-30% of patients with early breast cancer experience relapse, relapse is not typically recorded by most national cancer registries.
The Commission also stated that the number of people with metastatic breast cancer is still unknown and this is hampering the provision of treatment and care. Metastatic breast cancer is when the cancer spreads to an area further from where it started to another part of the body.
The scale of breast cancer-related suffering and other costs are not well-measured as well. “Society and policymakers currently see only the tip of an iceberg,” the Commission authors wrote. The Commission’s lead author, Professor Charlotte Coles, commented on the report and said, “Recent improvements in breast cancer survival represent a great success of modern medicine. However, we can’t ignore how many patients are being systematically left behind.”
