The annual cost of breast cancer to the UK economy could rise by almost a third to hit £4.2 billion in 2050, a report warns. Analysis by charity Breast Cancer Now and think tank Demos estimates that the disease is already costing the UK economy between £3.2 billion and £3.5 billion in 2025. The total includes the impact of rising incidence and resulting costs to the NHS of diagnosing and treating the disease, plus lost productivity when patients or their carers can not return to work.
Breast Cancer Now is calling on the Government to boost screening uptake — something it says could reduce the projected cost increase. Anyone registered with a GP as female will be automatically invited for breast screening every three years between the age of 50 and 71.
Latest figures show 70% of women took up their invitation in England in 2023/24, an increase of 5.4 percentage points from the previous year.
According to the analysis, boosting screening uptake to 80% could generate up to £185m in savings in 2025 by helping to detect cases earlier and when treatment is more likely to be successful.
Meanwhile, addressing disparities in breast cancer diagnosis could save 2,000 lives a year in ethnic minority communities and 3,200 in the most deprived areas, while saving up to £180m and £389m respectively for the economy.
Claire Rowney, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now said: “Breast cancer is so far from a done deal. Our new report exposes the growing scale of the problem, and the human and economic prices being paid — with far too many lives tragically being lost to this devastating disease.
“Great strides have been made in tackling breast cancer over past decades but it still devastates thousands of lives in the UK each day, with people facing long anxious waits for a diagnosis or vital lifesaving treatment, or being denied the life-extending drugs they need.
“We’re calling on governments and policymakers across the UK to work with Breast Cancer Now and our supporters to urgently implement measures we know will improve the lives of those impacted by breast cancer, including tackling low breast screening uptake rates and reducing health inequalities.”
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, with around 56,000 new cases every year and around 11,000 deaths.
The report also highlighted the high wellbeing costs associated with breast cancer, relating to the emotional turmoil of a diagnosis or loss of years lived.
Danielle Blakesley, 38, from Ilminster, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2022 aged 34. The mother-of-two had a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and is currently taking tamoxifen to help reduce the risk of the cancer returning, but has been unable to return to work due to the long-term side effects of treatment.
She said: “I’ve been grieving who I once was before my diagnosis, able to be a part of so many things. I didn’t realise how intense treatment would be.
“After the third round of chemotherapy I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t see how my body was going to get through it. I’ve had side effects like nerve damage to my feet and joint pain and issues.
“Even now I struggle when I try to do normal things. Just keeping up with my boys can take its toll. I get short of breath when I try to exercise. I was keen to go back to a job that I loved after treatment, but I haven’t been able to due to my fatigue, joint pain and limited mobility.
“My emotional and mental health has changed dramatically since treatment. I’m trying to live my life but I just have no focus, spark or confidence.”
Ms Rowney added: “The upcoming National Cancer Plan in England is a crucial opportunity to deliver real, sustainable change for people with breast cancer and drive radical improvements in detection, treatment and care. We stand ready to work with the UK government and NHS to make this happen.”
Lucy Bush, director of research and participation at Demos said the paper was part of a series making the case for “a more preventative state — one that shifts from firefighting mode to catching problems earlier or, even better, preventing problems before they develop”.
She added: “We see a double dividend to taking a preventative approach, both in the scale of human suffering that can be avoided and in the spiralling cost of public services that can be reduced.
“We have been working with Breast Cancer Now since 2023 to model the impact of breast cancer and our analysis provides crucial evidence of the economic and wellbeing benefits of early diagnosis and treatment.”