Big Drop in Breast Cancer Deaths Among Young Women (5 minutes reading) 

A new study shows that breast cancer deaths in women aged 20 to 49 dropped sharply between 2010 and 2020. The biggest improvements came after 2016, thanks to better treatments, more targeted medicine, and improved access to care.

Researchers looked at over 11,000 deaths and found that all types of breast cancer and all racial and ethnic groups saw declines. The most common type, called luminal A, had the biggest drop. However, younger women (ages 20–39) with this type had lower survival rates than expected, which may mean their cancers behave differently.

Despite the progress, Black women still had the highest death rates and the lowest survival, showing that health gaps remain. Experts say more research and better access to screening and treatment are needed, especially for high-risk and underserved groups.

This study highlights how far we've come in fighting breast cancer in young women—but also how much more we can do to save lives.

Source: LINK 

 

Prevention and Screening Save Lives in Five Major Cancer Types

From 1975 to 2020, efforts in prevention and screening helped avoid 4.75 million deaths from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. This study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) shows that these efforts have saved more lives than treatment advances.

Key findings include that smoking cessation prevented 3.45 million deaths from lung cancer. In breast cancer, treatment advances saved most lives, with mammography screening also contributing. Screening and removal of precancerous lesions prevented 160,000 deaths from cervical cancer. Screening and removal of polyps averted 79% of 940,000 deaths from colorectal cancer. PSA testing and treatment advances saved 360,000 lives from prostate cancer.

The study emphasizes the importance of combining prevention, screening, and treatment to reduce cancer death rates. The Biden Cancer Moonshot aims to cut the cancer death rate by 50% by 2047, highlighting the crucial role of prevention and screening efforts.

source: LINK