Research warns that breast cancer deaths are falling in the U.S., but cases among juvenile women are rising

A up-to-date report from the American Cancer Society shows a decline in the breast cancer death rate in the United States. While this is a relief, the report also warns that breast cancer rates are rising among younger women and disparities persist between different racial groups.

According to reportbetween 2012 and 2021, the incidence of breast cancer increased by 1% per year, with a greater boost among women under 50 years of age (1.4%). However, over the last three decades, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 44%.

“If we look at the last decade, we see that the incidence of breast cancer has increased by about 1% year over year, and the steepness of this boost does not affect all women equally.” he said Karen Knudsen, executive director of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

“There has been a slightly greater boost in the rate of breast cancer diagnosis in women under 50 compared to women over 50. We are observing these issues to try to understand,” Knudsen said.

The researchers analyzed breast cancer incidence and mortality data from the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dating back to 1975. Their findings revealed significant differences by race, age and condition.

The study noted that black women are at higher risk of developing the disease, with a mortality rate that is 38% higher than white women, even though they are 5% less likely to develop breast cancer.

“If you look more closely at the mortality data, you will see that this is actually particularly true for juvenile women. If you look at black women ages 20 to 29, they are twice as likely to die from breast cancer as their white counterparts,” Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, he said ABC News.

Black women have the highest mortality rate at approximately 27 deaths per 100,000 women, while the breast cancer mortality rate among Asian American and Pacific Islander communities was approximately 12 deaths per 100,000. However, the fastest annual boost in breast cancer rates was reported in Asian Pacific Islander communities – 2.7% for people under 50 and 2.5% for women 50 and over.

Researchers also found some striking geographic differences in breast cancer statistics. The incidence of the disease varied widely: in Nevada, there were 113 cases per 100,000 women, while in North Carolina the rate was much higher, at about 143 cases per 100,000. The rate of death from breast cancer also varied by region. : Massachusetts had about 15 deaths per 100,000 women, Mississippi, where the rate was about 23, and the District of Columbia, where the rate reached 24 per 100,000.