Quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer are due to lifestyle factors, research finds | Breast cancer
More than a quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer are due to lifestyle factors such as red meat consumption and smoking, according to the largest study of its kind.
The study, published in Lancet Oncology, used data from population-based cancer registries to produce a comprehensive analysis of breast cancer and its risk factors.
The data used, covering the period from 1990 to 2023 and from more than 200 countries, was also used to produce forecasts of breast cancer trends up to 2050. In the UK, around one in seven women will develop the disease in their lifetime.
New cases of breast cancer among women are expected to increase by a third globally, from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million in 2050, according to analysis from collaborators in the Global Burden of Disease Study Breast Cancer.
The findings also suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, getting enough physical activity, reducing red meat consumption and having a healthy BMI, could prevent more than a quarter of healthy years lost to disease and premature deaths from breast cancer worldwide. These figures follow previous research by Cancer Research UK, which found that more than four in ten cases of cancer in the UK were preventable through lifestyle changes.
Kayleigh Bhangdia, of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and lead author of the study, said: “Breast cancer continues to take a heavy toll on women’s lives and communities. While those in high-income countries generally benefit from screening, faster diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategies, the growing burden of breast cancer is shifting to low- and middle-income countries where individuals often face a diagnosis at a later date. advanced disease, poorer access to quality care and higher mortality rates threaten to eclipse progress in women’s health.
The analysis found that globally in 2023, three times as many new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women aged 55 or older than in women aged 20 to 54 (161 cases per 100,000 women, compared to 50).
But rates of new cases among women aged 20 to 54 have increased by almost a third (29%) since 1990, while rates among older women have not changed much.
In 2023, 28% of the global breast cancer burden (6.8 million healthy life years lost due to disability, disease or early death) was linked to six potentially modifiable risk factors. High consumption of red meat had the greatest impact (linked to almost 11% of all healthy lives lost), followed by tobacco use, including second-hand smoke (8%), high blood sugar (6%), high body mass index (4%), high alcohol consumption and low physical activity (both 2%).
Claire Rowney, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, said: “This new global study is a stark reminder that breast cancer is a disease that continues to take and destroy far too many lives, not just here but around the world.
“We are committed to achieving our bold ambition that by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well, and we are accelerating progress by building global collaborations with researchers and funders, because together we can go further, faster to ensure that every woman, no matter where they live, can access early diagnosis, effective treatment and the support they need.
Sophie Brooks, head of health information at Cancer Research UK, said: “These figures are a sad reminder of the heavy toll breast cancer continues to take on women around the world.
“Prevention remains a key way to reduce rates, with a significant number of cases globally linked to preventable factors such as smoking, being overweight, obesity and alcohol. »
