Global breast cancer survival estimates in 2017-2021 to advance the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative.

Global 5-year breast cancer survival rates from 2017-2021 ranged from 39.1% in Africa to 88.5% in the Americas, highlighting significant regional disparities.

• Why it matters: Addressing these disparities is essential for reducing breast cancer mortality worldwide and achieving the WHO's goal of meaningful survival improvements by 2040, especially in low- and middle-income countries where data are limited.
• What they did: The WHO estimated population-based age-standardized 5-year net survival for women diagnosed with breast cancer across all 194 Member States during 2017-2021, creating a global benchmark for outcome monitoring.
• The result: Findings reveal profound global inequities in survival, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts to improve access to diagnosis and treatment, ultimately supporting health system strengthening and goal attainment.