Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide, with annual cases expected to reach more than 3.5 million by 2050 , according to the analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study, Breast Cancer Collaborators, published in The Lancet Oncology.
Yearly deaths from the disease are projected to surge 44pc, from around 764,000 to 1.4 million, with a disproportionate impact in countries with limited resources.
When global cases and death rates are adjusted to account for differences in age, the study shows that in 2023, breast cancer rates were on average highest in high-income countries, including Ireland, with around 100 new cases per 100,000 women or higher.
They are lower in low- and middle-income countries. However, age-standardised rates of new cases have risen sharply – up 147pc on average –…