Many deaths from breast cancer are preventable, with 28% of the years of healthy life lost to the disease attributable to six modifiable risk factors, according to a new study published in The Lancet Oncology. In 2023, there were 2.3 million new breast cancer cases worldwide and 764,000 women died from the disease, the team, led by Lisa Force of the University of Washington in Seattle, wrote in March. The researchers calculated the share the avoidable risk factors had in the 24 million years of healthy life lost in 2023 due to illness or premature death from breast cancer.
By the Numbers
• Eating large amounts of red meat had the biggest share at 11%. Red meat includes beef, pork, goat, and lamb.
• Smoking, including passive smoking, followed at 8%.
• High blood sugar accounted for 6%.
• A high body mass index , or BMI, that is being overweight, was linked to 4% of the healthy years lost.
• High alcohol consumption accounted for 2%
• Low physical activity likewise accounted for 2%.
What We Know But Is Hard To Accept
This means that a healthy lifestyle without smoking but with plenty of exercise and a healthy weight can help avoid losing healthy years of life to the disease, the study noted. There are also genetic and other non-modifiable causes of the cancer.
Between 1990 and 2023 the disease burden attributable to alcohol and tobacco fell significantly by 47% and 28% respectively, the authors noted. For the other factors there has been no such positive development to date, the researchers added.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. By 2050, annual new cases are expected to rise by a third to 3.5 million, according to the team. The number of deaths will also increase to almost 1.4 million per year.
“While those in high-income countries typically benefit from screening and more timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategies, the mounting burden of breast cancer is shifting to low- and lower middle-income countries where individuals often face later-stage diagnosis, more limited access to quality care, and higher death rates that are threatening to eclipse progress in women’s health,” said lead author Kayleigh Bhangdia of the University of Washington.
The researchers see strong potential for prevention.
“With more than a quarter of the global breast cancer burden linked to six modifiable lifestyle changes there are tremendous opportunities to alter the trajectory of breast cancer risk for the next generation,” said co-author Marie Ng of the National University of Singapore.
Health policy could be targeted more precisely and individuals better advised, for example to reduce excess weight or lower blood sugar, she said.
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