Global burden and trends of breast cancer: GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates of incidence and mortality in 185 countries

Abstract Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women, posing major health, social, and economic challenges worldwide. This study analyzed global breast cancer incidence and mortality in 2022 using Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2022 data and projected the disease burden to 2050. Methods: Breast cancer incidence and mortality were categorized by region and age. Correlations between age-standardized rates (ASRs) and the Human Development Index (HDI) were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ). Future burden estimates for 2050 were projected based on current trends. Results: In 2022, approximately 2.30 million new breast cancer cases and 666,103 deaths were reported globally. Age-specific patterns of breast cancer incidence and mortality differed across development HDI levels with incidence peaking at ages 45–69 years and mortality at ages 50–≥85 years across HDI levels. The proportion of cases and deaths among women aged ≥50 years relative to those aged ≤49 years increased with HDI, ranging from 79% vs . 21% for incidence and 90% vs . 10% for deaths in very high HDI countries to 51% vs . 49% and 59% vs . 41% in low HDI countries. HDI showed strong positive correlations with age-standardized incidence rates (ρ = 0.773), period incidence rates (ρ = 0.958), and period mortality rates (ρ = 0.907), and a negative correlation with mortality-to-incidence ratios (ρ = –0.817). Projections indicate that by 2050, breast cancer cases may rise to 3.55 million and deaths to 1.14 million if current patterns continue. Conclusions: Breast cancer remains a major global health concern. Strengthening prevention, early detection, and therapeutic strategies is essential to reduce incidence, improve survival, and alleviate its global burden.