Quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer are due to lifestyle factors, research finds

"Breast cancer continues to take a profound toll on women's lives and communities. While those in high-income countries typically benefit from screening and more timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategies, the mounting burden of breast cancer is shifting to low- and lower middle-income countries where individuals often face later-stage diagnosis, more limited access to quality care and higher death rates."

"The findings suggest that maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking, doing sufficient physical activity, lowering red meat consumption, and having a healthy BMI may prevent more than a quarter of healthy years lost to illness and premature death due to breast cancer worldwide."

A comprehensive Global Burden of Disease Study analyzing data from over 200 countries between 1990 and 2023 reveals that lifestyle factors account for more than a quarter of healthy years lost to breast cancer. The research projects new breast cancer cases will increase by one-third globally by 2050. Maintaining healthy habits—avoiding smoking, exercising regularly, reducing red meat intake, and maintaining healthy BMI—could prevent over 25% of health losses from breast cancer worldwide. While high-income countries benefit from screening and timely diagnosis, the disease burden is shifting toward low- and lower middle-income countries where patients face later-stage diagnoses and limited treatment access. In the UK, approximately one in seven women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.

Read at www.theguardian.com