Ahead of Cancer Day, Andre Ilbawi, a cancer specialist at the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that breast cancer is now the most common type of cancer. This form accounts for 12 per cent of new cases every year, across the globe.
As life expectancy rates increase, cancer is increasingly becoming more common. It may rise to 30 million new cases per year in 2040 from 19.3 million in 2020. For the last two decades, lung cancer has been the most common type. For the first type, breast cancer has surpassed it. Approximately 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in 2020, representing 11.7 per cent of all cancer cases.
According to a WHO statement, “among women, breast cancer is the most commonly-diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide”. Obesity in women is a common risk factor and is also driving overall cancer numbers noted Ilbawi.
