KABUL (Pajhwok): About 2.4 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, meaning an average of more than four women are diagnosed every minute, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
In a report published ahead of World Breast Cancer Day, the WHO said breast cancer caused an estimated 694,000 deaths worldwide in 2024 and was the most common cancer among women in 164 of 186 countries that year.
The organization said about 80 percent of breast cancer cases occur in women who have no specific risk factors other than sex and age.
About 0.5 to 1 percent of breast cancer cases occur in men, the WHO said.
Breast cancer develops when abnormal cells in the breast grow uncontrollably and form tumours. If the disease is not treated, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body and become fatal.
The WHO said breast cancer cells can begin in the milk ducts or milk-producing lobules. The earliest form, known as in situ cancer, is not life-threatening and can be detected at an early stage.
However, cancer can later invade nearby tissue, forming tumours that may cause lumps or thickening.
Invasive breast cancer can spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs, a process known as metastasis, and can become life-threatening, according to the WHO.
Treatment depends on the individual, the type of cancer and how far it has spread, and may include surgery, radiation therapy and medicines.
The WHO said early and timely diagnosis, followed by comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care, is essential to reducing the burden of breast cancer and helping patients achieve and maintain optimal health and well-being.
The organization launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021, aiming to reduce breast cancer deaths and prevent 2.5 million deaths by 2040.
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