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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 6,85,000 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.”
The new Lancet Commission called it a “global blunder.”
Breast cancer cases will increase from 2.3 million in 2020 to more than 3 million by 2040 worldwide. Low- and middle-income countries are being “disproportionately affected”, the commission estimated.
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.
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.”
“We hope that, by highlighting these inequities and hidden costs and suffering in breast cancer, they can be better recognised and addressed by health care professionals and policymakers in partnership with patients and the public around the world,” she added.
The commission suggested better communication between patients and health professionals as a crucial intervention that could improve quality of life, body image, and adherence to therapy, and positively impact survival.
“Women’s fundamental human rights have historically been accorded lesser respect than men’s in all settings, with implications for patient agency and autonomy,” said Reshma Jagsi, Emory University School of Medicine, US.
In India, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Regular screening can help early detection and timely treatment. A mammogram can help diagnose the disease even before symptoms kick in.
According to a study by AIIMS, in Delhi, 30 per cent of breast cancers were found in women below the age of 40 years.
Regular breast self-examinations, clinical breast exams, and mammograms are important steps in detecting any potential abnormalities of breast cancer, say experts.