Breast Cancer

Globally, breast cancer ranked first in incidence in the year 2020 with 22,61,419 new cases contributing to 11.7% of all cancers diagnosed and fifth in mortality with 6,84,996 deaths accounting for 6.9% of all cancer-related deaths [1]. According to GLOBOCAN, the incidence and mortality rates were high in Asia (10,26,171 new cases and 3,46,009 deaths), contributing to 45.4% and 50.5% of breast cancer incidence and mortality, respectively [2]. In Europe, breast cancer accounted for 23.5% (5,31,086 new cases) and 20.7% (1,41,765 deaths) of all global breast cancer incidence and deaths, respectively. According to the SEER database for the year 2022, the estimated new breast cancer cases and deaths were 2,90,560 and 43,780, respectively [3]. Based on combined data from the SEER database and the National Program of Cancer Registries of the United States for the year 2022, the number of new cases of invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ were 2,87,850 and 51,400, respectively [4]. The 5-year survival rate varied according to clinical subtype and size of the tumor but mainly varied based on the cancer stage at which the patient is diagnosed; the highest 5-year survival rate (99%) was in patients with localized cancer, and the lowest (29%) was observed in patients with metastatic cancer [3]. The 5-year survival rates for localized, regional metastatic, and distant metastatic stages were 96%, 78%, and 20%, respectively, for women belonging to black race and Hispanic ethnicity, and were >99%, 87%, and 30% for the women belonging to white race [3]. In Europe, the incidence rates were 34.8%, 34.3%, and 22.5%, and mortality rates were 25.1%, 19.3%, and 15.1% for the age groups 0–44 years, 45–64 years, and 65 years or above, respectively [5]. Among women across 185 countries in the age group of 0–39 years, the mortality rates varied to a greater extent than incidence across countries [6]. Based on the cancer data in 2020, the incidence rates were 0.1%, 5.7%, and 46.6%, and mortality rates were 0%, 0.4%, and 4.8% for the age groups 15–19, 20–29, and 30–39, respectively [7].