Breast Cancer Knowledge Summaries

Key Messages

  • National breast cancer control programs can be developed and implemented at all resource levels.
  • Successful breast cancer programs offer women with breast cancer the best possible outcomes while effectively using available resources.
  • Breast cancer care is most successful when prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliation are integrated and synchronously developed.

The Facts

  • Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide
  • Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear an increasing and disproportionate share of the disease burden.
  • Women in low-resource settings commonly present to a healthcare facility with advanced breast cancer and have a poor prognosis (as low as 15% overall 5-year survival in some regions) and poor quality of life. 

Meeting the Challenge 

  • Program design and improvements should be based on identified needs and barriers, outcome goals and available resources. 
  • Breast cancer programs should follow a defined resource stratified pathway to ensure coordinated incremental program improvements across the continuum of care. 
  • Comprehensive breast cancer control planning is a long-term process that requires acknowledgement that changes in population-based outcomes can take years to realize. Pilot projects, research studies and quality assurance programs that use short- and long-term process metrics can help inform future program direction.