UICC Breast Cancer Impact Report

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death in women. In 2024, an estimated 2.43 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer and around 694,000 died from the disease. Current projections show that deaths are expected to rise by around 68% by 2050, reaching 1.1 million deaths1 per year. The growing and ageing global population, combined with persistent inequalities in access to early detection, diagnosis and treatment, means that many countries – particularly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) – are experiencing an increasing burden of breast cancer.

In response to this urgent global challenge, UICC established its Breast Cancer programme in 2020 to mobilise and strengthen the global breast cancer community, reduce premature deaths and improve the quality of life of patients. Shortly after the programme’s launch, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI), providing a global framework to reduce mortality through improved early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment. UICC’s programme fully aligned with these goals and supported their translation into action across countries and regions. Leveraging UICC’s extensive network of more than 1,100 members, its established learning and development portfolio, strong convening platforms and global advocacy channels, the programme sought to foster an influential breast cancer community with the skills, knowledge, networks and resources needed to improve quality breast cancer care at the national level for all populations and remove the barriers that prevent women from accessing services.