Josep M. Borràs
Scientific coordinator of the National Health System Cancer Strategy, director of the Catalan Oncology Plan and Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Barcelona
The article is very interesting. It is based on data collected by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 185 countries, analysing a period of 10 years and projecting breast cancer cases to 2030 and 2050. The greatest increase is concentrated in developing countries, both in incidence and in mortality.
It is worth noting that in European countries like ours (which has the lowest cumulative risk of dying from breast cancer at 75 years of age), the increase in incidence observed in all age groups is accompanied by a significant decrease in the risk of dying. The increase in Spain is partly explained by the fact that we start from intermediate incidence figures in the European context.
The objectives of the global breast cancer initiative promoted by the WHO of a 2.5% decrease in mortality have only been achieved in some European countries, although not only the annual decrease but also the starting point should be taken into account in order to properly assess this decrease (it is easier to decrease from high mortality figures than from lower figures).
Preventive recommendations for this tumour are limited and the focus should be on rapid diagnosis and screening, as well as on the application of effective treatments to the entire population affected by the tumour.