Transcript More about breast cancer

Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) Challenge
Breast Cancer : How important is it?
• It is the most common cancer among women
in lower-and-middle-income in Asian
countries.
• Its cost to society in terms of
- use of healthcare resources
- lost productivity.
• This cost will increase further if incidence
rates continue to rise in years to come.
Breast Cancer : How important is it?
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454,575 new cases per year.
168,000 deaths per year.
20% of cancer cases in women.
12% of female cancer deaths.
Close to 1 in 2 diagnoses in women < 50.
Up to 25% of cases presenting at an advanced
stage (56% in Thailand).
More about metastatic breast cancer
(MBC)
• A high proportion of women present with
advanced breast cancer in lower- and middleincome Asian countries.
• MBC is an incurable condition.
• MBC poses a considerable physical,
psychological and emotional toll on women
and their families.
Key facts about MBC
MBC is an incurable condition.
Even if breast cancer is diagnosed and treated at an
early stage, it may still develop into metastatic disease.
Average survival is 2-3 years, but many women with
MBC can live for much longer.
The goal of treatment is to extend life, delay the
progression of disease and help each person maintain
the best QoL for as long as possible.
Unmet needs of women with MBC
Many women with MBC feel invisible within
the breast cancer community
- as most of the attention of the media,
policymakers, and the advocacy community
tends to be focused on early breast cancer.
Women with MBC have considerable clinical,
informational, and emotional needs.
- that need to be addressed to help them gain
control over their condition and lead as full a life
as possible, for as long as possible.
How we can help them ?
• Greater visibility for breast cancer in general.
• Better treatments that extend life, delay
progression and maintain QoL.
• Support services to help them address the
psychological aspects of their condition.
The management of MBC : an ongoing
challenge
• Lack of access to, and poor funding.
• High use of alternative medicines.
• Limited professional knowledge and
experience.
• Poor availability of services targeted at
women with MBC.
Call to action
• Enhanced professional capacity
- Develop specialist professional training
focused on breast cancer and MBC.
- Strengthen the provision of supportive and
palliative care in community settings.
• Greater access to care
- Ensure rapid access to the most effective
diagnosis and treatment.