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. 2021 Jun;187(2):557-567.
doi: 10.1007/s10549-020-06083-6. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Global, regional, national burden of breast cancer in 185 countries: evidence from GLOBOCAN 2018

Rajesh Sharma  1
Affiliations

Global, regional, national burden of breast cancer in 185 countries: evidence from GLOBOCAN 2018

Rajesh Sharma. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to examine the burden of breast cancer in 185 countries in 2018.

Methods: The estimates of incidence, mortality, and prevalence of breast cancer were drawn from GLOBOCAN 2018. The overall burden of breast cancer was gauged using breast cancer burden index (BRCBI)-a novel index comprising age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR), prevalence-to-incidence ratio (PIR), and prevalence-to-mortality ratio (PMR). The socioeconomic status of countries was measured using human development index (HDI) RESULTS: Globally, breast cancer was responsible for an estimated 626,679 deaths at age-standardized rate of 13/100,000; there were 2.1 million cases diagnosed in 2018 at age-standardized rate of 46.3/100,000. The ASIR varied 22-fold from 5/100,000 (Bhutan) to 113.2/100,000 (Belgium). The ASMR varied 13-fold from 2.7/100,000 (Bhutan) to 36.9/100,000 (Fiji). The HDI exhibited a positive gradient with ASIR (r = 0.73), PIR (r = 0.98), and PMR (r = 0.85); with MIR, however, it exhibited a negative association (r = - 0.83). The BRCBI spanned from 0.70 in Somalia to 78.92 in South Korea and exhibited a positive association with HDI (r = 0.76). An additional 46,823 female lives in 2018 and a cumulative total of 333,304 lives could have been saved over 2013-2018, had countries performed as per their HDI.

Conclusions: The substantial burden of breast cancer in developing and low-resource economies calls for a holistic approach to cancer management and control that includes oncologic infrastructure to provide cost-effective screening, diagnostic, therapeutic, and palliative services, greater breast cancer awareness, and mitigation of risk factors.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Breast cancer burden index; GLOBOCAN; Incidence; Mortality; Mortality-to-incidence ratio; Prevalence-to-mortality ratio.

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