Breast Cancer Facts

Incidence

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and accounts for 1 in 4 annual cancer cases worldwide*.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the WHO Europe region with an estimated incidence of 604,900 in 2022*.
Incidence in the EU-27 in 2022 was estimated to be 375,000*.
1 in 11 women in the EU-27 will develop breast cancer before the age of 74*.

An estimated 20% of breast cancer cases in Europe occur in women when they are younger than 50 years old*.

33% occur at age 50–64 and the remaining cases in women above this age*.

Breast cancer therefore affects many women during their years dedicated to working and raising a family.

Mortality and Survival

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide accounting for 1 in 6 cancer deaths*. Breast cancer claims the lives of more European women than any other cancer*. Mortality in Women in the WHO Europe Region, 2022*

40% OTHER CANCER

16% BREAST

14% LUNG

13% COLORECTUM

8% PANCREAS

5% OVARY

5% STOMACH

Estimated number of women who died from breast cancer in 2022* WHO Europe region: 160,000 EU-27 member states: 95,800
European women aged 15 and older diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2007 had an estimated 5-year relative survival rate of 83%*.
Estimated numbers and age-standardised breast cancer incidence and mortality rates** in women per 100,000 in 2022*.
Country/RegionIncidenceMortality
NumbersAge-standardised rate (W)*NumbersAge-standardised rate (W)*
EU-27375,07983.495,88114.9
WHO Europe region**604,94170.7160,04314.5
Albania102251.140714,5
Armenia101339.645316.1
Austria598369.5178914.3
Azerbaijan219532.979411.8
Belarus518356.6138413.3
Belgium11.255104.4232414.2
Bosnia and Herzegovina153951.956415.0
Bulgaria355852.8139915.5
Croatia310874.661211.7
Cyprus1020104.823818.6
Czech Republic773272.5170911.7
Denmark525995.4111414.1
Estonia85763.126713.2
Finland537892.387911.9
France65,659105.414,73915.8
Georgia173049.086120.6
Germany74,01677.020,60115.8
Greece898782.4243114.7
Hungary769476.4223716.9
Iceland20571.16517.1
Ireland368891.588317.2
Israel461878.7120716.2
Italy57,48087.015,45514.8
Kazakhstan457036.9157412.3
Kyrgyzstan85225.32708.2
Latvia126366.043016.3
Lithuania171962.751514.5
Luxembourg56599.710515.1
Malta38686.38115.1
Republic of Moldova162046.667517.5
Montenegro41676.515423.3
The Netherlands15,919101.6326914.5
North Macedonia106965.337919.5
Norway448095.676511.0
Poland24,41866.0872317.4
Portugal895488.8221114.5
Romania12,68569.2387716.5
Russian Federation78,83957.722,11513.6
Serbia490060.5184518.5
Slovakia364967.3124118.1
Slovenia166082.347015.0
Spain34,73581.5674710.6
Sweden745281.4153511.9
Switzerland664277.4154112.4
Tajikistan81819.52837.4
Turkey25,24946.8736012.5
Turkmenistan100131.148515.6
Ukraine18,09643.1661313.2
United Kingdom58,75694.012,12214.0
Uzbekistan502227.8224613.0

*Age-standardised rate (W): A rate is the number of new cases or deaths per 100,000 persons per year. An age-standardised rate is the rate that a population would have if it had a standard age structure. Standardization is necessary when comparing several populations that differ with respect to age because age has a powerful influence on the risk of cancer.

**WHO Europe region includes 53 countries. Incidence data include all countries except for Andorra, Monaco and San Marino.

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