Personalised breast cancer screening vs one-size-fits-all approach

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. In 2020, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, with 685,000 deaths registered globally. As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. There was little change in breast cancer mortality from the 1930s through to the 1970s when surgery alone was the primary mode of treatment. Improvements in survival began in the 1990s when countries established breast cancer early detection programs together with comprehensive treatment programs including effective medical therapies.