Breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related illness and premature death among women worldwide. In 2023, there were an estimated 2.3 million new breast cancer cases and 764,000 deaths, resulting in around 24 million years of healthy life lost due to illness and early mortality.

Over a quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer are due to six modifiable risk factors, including high red meat intake, tobacco, high blood sugar, and high BMI—offering important opportunities for prevention.

The number of new breast cancer cases worldwide is predicted to rise by a third from 2.3 million in 2023 to over 3.5 million in 2050; and the annual global breast cancer death toll is forecast to increase by 44% from 764,000 to nearly 1.4 million.

The authors say that progress towards ensuring all women have an equal chance to survive breast cancer can only be achieved through a combination of aggressive prevention strategies, ensuring well-functioning health systems capable of early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment, and making cancer services both accessible and affordable to all.

Despite recent advancements in breast cancer treatments, new breast cancer cases in women are predicted to rise by a third globally from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million in 2050. Similarly, yearly deaths from the disease are projected to surge 44%, from around 764,000 to 1.4 million, with disproportionate impact in countries with limited resources, according to a major new analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study Breast Cancer Collaborators, published in The Lancet Oncology. 

Researchers at Ohio University have discovered what may be a new way to fight lung cancer that is resistant to other treatments. The study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science and led by Goll-Ohio Eminent Scholar and distinguished professor John J. Kopchick, Ph.D., and his graduate student Arshad Ahmad at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, found that blocking the growth hormone receptor may help make lung cancer treatments more effective.

The James P. Allison Institute™ at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced the appointment of four new members, Eric Gardner, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D., Rodrigo Romero, Ph.D., and Hojong Yoon, Ph.D. These exceptional scientists will advance the institute’s ongoing work to attain a deeper understanding of the many aspects of the tumor-immune response in order to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to all patients.

About 50% of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients develop resistance to therapy. When resistance arises, tumors are more likely to come back after the original treatment, significantly reducing the chances of survival. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that there is more than one way TNBC can become immune to therapy. 

The findings have implications for treatment. Knowing ahead of time which resistance mechanism a patient’s tumor is likely to implement can guide treatment decisions to prevent or reduce resistance.

Survival rates for people with cholangiocarcinoma, a silent but deadly form of cancer originating in the bile ducts, are dismal and a new approach is needed, argues a panel of leading experts including a UCL researcher.