Major global study reveals worldwide variations in the stage at which women are diagnosed with breast cancer: disparities found in stage at breast cancer diagnosis

Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have released a new study, published in JAMA Oncology, that quantifies for the first time the global partition of stage at diagnosis of breast cancer in women across 81 countries worldwide. The study, a collaborative international effort, investigates the stage at which more than 2 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, over the past three decades and across different countries and world regions. It explores changes over time and differences by age group and socioeconomic status. Up to 30% of women with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa were diagnosed at a stage that was already metastatic.

Benitez Fuentes JD, Morgan E, de Luna Aguilar A, Mafra A, Shah R, Giusti F, et al.
Global stage distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
JAMA Oncol, Published online 9 November 2023;
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.4837