​Report finds breast cancer mortality rates continue three-decade decline.

The American Cancer Society has released Breast Cancer Statistics, 2024, the organization’s biennial update on breast cancer occurrence trends in the US, announcing the news in press releases available in English and Spanish. The new report finds breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, averting approximately 517,900 breast cancer deaths. However, not all women have benefited from this progress, notably American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women, whose rates have remained unchanged over the past three decades. Also concerning is the continued upward trend in breast cancer incidence, rising by 1% annually during 2012-2021, with the steepest increase in women younger than 50 years (1.4% per year) and Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) women of any age (2.5%-2.7% per year). These important findings were published Oct. 1 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, alongside its consumer-friendly companion, Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024, available on cancer.org. 

To help amplify, team members are encouraged to share the social media post from ACS channels with the suggested copy or craft your own message relating back to our work on the importance of screening and breast cancer research. 

Suggested Post Copy:

More than 310,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone.

I'm proud to be part of the team working to provide and expand access to resources, fund lifesaving research, and above all – end breast cancer as we know it, for everyone.

View the full Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024 report at cancer.org/breast-cff-2024

Other key findings from the report include:

• AIAN women have 10% lower breast cancer incidence than White women, but 6% higher mortality, and only 51% of AIAN women 40 years or older had a mammogram in the past two years compared to 68% of White women. 
• Breast cancer in women under 50 years has increased in AAPI women by 50% since 2000, surpassing the rate in young Hispanic, AIAN, and Black women to become the highest rate alongside White women (both 86 per 100,000).
• Black women continue to have a 38% higher breast cancer mortality rate than White women, despite a 5% lower incidence. Black women also have lower survival than White women for every breast cancer subtype and stage of diagnosis except localized disease, with which they are 10% less likely to be diagnosed (58% versus 68%).

Rebecca Siegel is senior author of the report. Other ACS authors participating in the study include Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, Dr. Hyuna Sung, Jessica Star and Dr. Robert Smith.

More information on breast cancer can be found on cancer.org .