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Although breast cancer deaths have been steadily declining in the United States, the incidence of the disease is increasing, especially among young adults, and there are significant racial disparities, according to a new American Cancer Society report.
The study was conducted on Tuesday CA: Cancer Journal for CliniciansHe found good news: Between 1989 and 2022, the overall US breast cancer death rate dropped by 44 percent, which translates to about 518,000 breast cancer deaths over that period. This is mostly. Thanks to advances in cancer treatment and early detection, it is recommended for women at average risk starting at age 40.
But there was also some alarming news: From 2012 to 2021, the incidence of the disease itself rose 1 percent each year.
“If we look at the past decade, we've seen the incidence of breast cancer increase by about one percent per year, and the slope of that increase doesn't affect all women equally,” Karen said. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network.
“There is a slight increase in breast cancer screening rates for women under 50 and women over 50,” she said. “These are things we're trying to understand.”
A A separate study was published in January Over the past 20 years, the incidence of breast cancer in women aged 20 to 49 has increased.
The trend follows a recent trend with cancers such as colorectal cancer in which more people are being diagnosed at a younger age than traditional.
Differences in race and region
For the new report, researchers from the American Cancer Society, Weill Cornell Medicine and Harvard Medical School analyzed data on breast cancer incidence and mortality from the National Cancer Institute and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention registry dating back to 1975. Some notable differences in data by race and state, as well as by age.
The researchers found that black women were 5 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, but 38 percent more likely to die from the disease than white women.
“If you really look at the mortality data, it's particularly driven by young women,” said Dr. William Doughty, chief science officer of the American Cancer Society. “If you look at black women between the ages of 20 and 29, they are twice as likely to die from breast cancer as their white counterparts.”
Black women have the highest death rate overall, the data show. Rates range from about 12 deaths per 100,000 women in the Asian American/Pacific Islander community to about 27 deaths per 100,000 in the black community.
The report found that Asian American and Pacific Islander women had the fastest rate of breast cancer growth among women under 50, at 2.7 percent annually, and among women 50 and older, at 2.5 percent annually.
“The acceleration of breast cancer among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is alarming. Emerging evidence suggests that certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer may increase the risk in Asian women compared to white women, said Dr. Ruth Carlos, professor of radiology and assistant chair of clinical research at the University of Michigan. Involved in the new report, written in an email.
“It is unfortunate that the results are not consistent for black/African-American women,” she added. “Several research groups are investigating the biological effects of structural discrimination on breast cancer development.”
Some geographic differences also emerged in the data. The researchers found that breast cancer cases ranged from 113 cases per 100,000 women in Nevada to 143 cases per 100,000 in North Carolina.
Another geographic gap was found in breast cancer death rates, ranging from about 15 deaths per 100,000 women in Massachusetts to 23 per 100,000 in Mississippi and 24 per 100,000 in the District of Columbia.
“State differences reflect a number of factors, including public health policy such as Medicaid expansion and other laws and programs, demographic characteristics and the prevalence of cancer risk factors, including mammography screening and access to care,” the researchers wrote.
They report that approximately 311,000 invasive breast cancers will be diagnosed in American women this year, affecting 1 in 8, and more than 42,000 women will die from breast cancer.
The researchers Such a comprehensive analysis of breast cancer trends should be “praised,” Carlos said.
“They found alarming trends in breast cancer, especially among younger women,” she wrote. “Environmental risks, lifestyle factors, and genetic risk factors contribute to this increase.”
The data in the new report reflects what many oncologists are noticing on the ground, said Dr. Carmen Calfa, MD, a medical oncologist at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at Miami Health System and co-director of the Sylvester Community Breast Cancer Outreach Program. Involved in the new report.
“In general, the alarming rate of breast cancer has been observed and observed, and we see patients of all ages in the office every day, but we see more young people than ever before,” Calfa said. The youngest breast cancer patient was diagnosed at age 20.
“We were seeing and seeing patients presenting to us at a much younger age,” she says. “While we're seeing an increase in breast cancer in younger patients, the trends are very significant and consistent across all other types of cancer, and that makes us wonder, it's not a breast-specific finding.”
Calfa added that many of the risk factors for breast cancer are common to other types of cancer, which may hold clues to why the incidence of some cancers increases at a younger age.
“The common risk factors are there, and I think that's where we have the greatest opportunity,” she said. It is a lifestyle that includes food, type of diet, amount of physical activity.
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Other factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer include a family history of cancer, increased alcohol consumption, a large lesion from a breast biopsy, or the presence of certain genetic mutations.
Some ways It reduces the risk of breast cancer These include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, drinking alcohol in moderation or not drinking at all, and for some people, taking medications such as tamoxifen if possible, and breastfeeding your children.
“I also ask that every woman and man try to understand their own, personal risk and try to be their best advocates in terms of prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and ultimately overall results,” said Calfa.