Study: Number of breast cancer cases in US rising sharply, even as death rates fall

The number of breast cancer cases is rising sharply in the United States, driven by an increase in cases among young women and Asian Americans, according to a study released Tuesday.

A biennial report published by the American Cancer Society found that the number of cases increased by one percent each year from 2012 to 2021. The increase in breast cancer cases occurred even as the overall death rate continued to ‘ historic downward trend, dropping 44 percent from 1989 to 2022.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed among US women, as well as the second leading cause of cancer death, after lung cancer.

About one in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. And one in 43 women, or about two percent, will die from the disease.

Over the past ten years, according to the report, breast cancer rates have increased faster in women under the age of 50 than in older women. The growth rate of cases reached 1.4 percent per year in this age group compared to 0.7 percent per year for those aged 50 years and older, as its cause is still unknown.

By race, Asian American women had the fastest increase in incidence. This is followed by Hispanic women, which the paper says “may be partly related to new immigrants, who have a higher risk of breast cancer.” “

Overall, the death rate from breast cancer fell by 44 percent from 33 deaths per 100,000 women in 1989 to 19 deaths per 100,000 women in 2022. Overall, this results in approximately 517,900 preventable deaths prevent

However, despite decades of medical advances in treatment and early detection capabilities, the benefits have not been seen equally.

Death rates have remained unchanged since 1990 among Native Americans, and black women experienced 38 percent more deaths than white women despite a five percent lower incidence.

The paper says these findings highlight “disadvantages in the social determinants of health” and “long-standing systemic racism that has led to a lack of access to quality care across the cancer continuum.”

For example, while black women reported having more mammograms than white women, “they were more likely to be screened at facilities with fewer resources or at facilities that were not accredited by the American College of Radiology” according to the study.

The authors recommend increasing racial diversity in clinical trials and community partnerships that increase access to high-quality screening among women, especially those who are less conservative.

In April, an influential US medical group recommended that women be screened for breast cancer at least every two years starting at age 40.

US Preventive Services Task Force (US Preventive Services Task Force/ USPSTF) previously stated that women in their 40s should make individual decisions about when to start mammograms, based on their health history and maintained the essential recommendation for those over 50 . [rz/ft]