Today, pink ribbons are waving in the wind across Europe in honor of International Breast Cancer Awareness Day. The world faces a stark paradox: breast cancer incidence is rising, but breakthroughs in detection and treatment are reducing breast cancer deaths.
Under the 2025 theme, “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters,” events ranging from webinars to survivor walks are raising the voice for equitable care. This highlights how Europe’s aging population is leading to an increase in the number of infections, while innovative treatments are saving lives.
Breast cancer is on the rise worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) kicked off the month on October 1 with the Third Global Breast Cancer Initiative Partners Meeting, launching a training manual to support early detection in underserved areas. “Every minute, four women are diagnosed with breast cancer and one woman dies from breast cancer around the world, and these statistics are getting worse,” IARC scientist Dr. Joanne Kim warned during the event. In Europe, the numbers make the urgency clear. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates that there will be 604,900 new infections in the WHO European Region in 2022, and this number is expected to increase with demographic changes.
Why has breast cancer incidence leveled off in the UK?
Incidence is stable in wealthy northern and western countries such as the United Kingdom and Sweden, with an age-standardized rate of 100 to 120 per 100,000 women, but is increasing in eastern and southern Europe due to lifestyle factors such as obesity, increased alcohol consumption, delayed childbirth, and uneven access to testing. The situation is even worse in Europe, where the average age is 41.9 years. According to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), half of the cases affect women aged 45 to 69. Professor Carlo La Vecchia from the University of Milan said in a recent analysis: “Over the past few decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased, increasing the risk of breast cancer.”
Breast cancer mortality rates fall across Europe
Still, there are some glimmers of hope in the mortality data. Since 1990, the EU has dramatically reduced breast cancer mortality rates by 30 percent, averting more than 373,000 lives through expanded mammography screening campaigns and targeted treatments such as HER2 inhibitors. A March 2025 study published in the journal Annals of Oncology predicted a 4% decline in deaths per 100,000 women across the EU by the end of this year, to 13.3 deaths per 100,000 women, with an even more dramatic improvement in the 50 to 69 age group (-9.8%). The total number of deaths may have increased slightly from 85,000 in 2020 to 90,000, but the UK is faring better than its neighbours, with a forecast decline of 6% overall and 7% for women over 80.
Global efforts in breast cancer awareness
The EU’s plan to beat cancer, which aims for 90% screening uptake by 2025, is at the heart of progress in Europe. Initiatives like Switzerland’s PINK CUBE Roadshow provide free testing in rural areas, and the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance’s World Awareness Day on October 15 highlighted that 15% of cases are missed by standard mammography.
Survivors like Dutch musician Floor Jansen perfectly embody the spirit of this theme. “Let’s go! And to all the men reading this, please remind your wives, girlfriends, mothers, and sisters to go get tested,” she urged in a heartfelt post. In October, with the Pink Warriors Dragon Boat Race in Malaysia and the Poetry Slam in Ivory Coast, she advocates stress prevention by limiting alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting tested early.
This awareness month is about more than just pink ribbons. This is a rallying cry to ensure the survival of every woman’s journey in Europe and to close the gap. And it’s not just about women. This is also true for men, who should be nagging their partners, wives, mothers, and sisters and nagging them to get tested. As the number of deaths tends to decrease, the attention will increase further and the increase in the number of diagnoses will lead to lives.
