Breast cancer: 694,000 deaths recorded worldwide in 2024

The WHO recommends seeing a doctor as soon as a breast abnormality appears, even if it is painless, and says early detection improves treatment effectiveness. Care depends on the cancer’s type and extent and may combine surgery, radiotherapy and drug treatments, supported by a multidisciplinary team. Launched in 2021, the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative aims to reduce worldwide mortality by 2.5% annually and avert 2.5 million deaths by 2040. In high-income countries, age-standardized breast cancer mortality fell by 40% between 1980 and 2020.