According to a new report, breast cancer in a woman has far surpassed lung cancer as the most common form of cancer.
A paper published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians estimates that there were roughly 2.3 million new female breast cancer cases in 2020, or 11.7% of all new cancer diagnoses. While lung cancer, previously the most commonly diagnosed cancer, only had 11.4% of total cases.
Breast Cancer Tops Lung Cancer
Until recently, lung cancer has held the title of most diagnosed cancer over the past two decades, says Hyuna Sung, the principal author and cancer epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society.
Sung tells CNN, "The change of the rank signals the epidemiologic transition of cancers. That was quite surprising news for us."
In 2018, the year with the most recent data shows that lung cancer was in the lead with 2,093,876 new cases while breast cancer had 2,088,845 cases.
In an email to CNN, Sung says that there has been an increase in breast cancer awareness. However, mammogram screenings may not be able to explain the full rise of breast cancer diagnoses.
Sung adds that the increasing trend of breast cancer is likely a reflection of the increase in the prevalence of breast cancer risk factors such as physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, postponement of childbearing, less breastfeeding, and fewer childbirths.
Breast Cancer Statistics and Predictions
Researchers from the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer wrote that lung cancer is still ranked as the leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women, with an estimated 1.8 million deaths or 18% of all cancer-related deaths.
Lunch cancer was the leading cause of death among men, with up to 21.5% cancer deaths. While breast cancer led to the cause of cancer deaths in women with 15.5%.
Overall the data shows an estimated 19.3 million new cases and 10 million cancer deaths globally in 2020.
The five most commonly diagnosed cancer, according to the recent report, were: lung cancer, female breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer.
However, researchers would like to point out that the report's estimates do not reflect the potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnoses and deaths.
Sung says, "Nobody knows the full extent of the impact of the pandemic on cancer statistics yet. But many studies suggest we already see delays in diagnosis and treatment."
The new report estimates that the projected global burden of cancer may reach 28.4 million cases by 2040, making a 47% rise from the previous year.
According to the World Health Organization, in the past few decades, the number of diagnosed cancer patients has climbed from roughly 10 million in 2000 to 19.3 million in 2020.
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