Breast Cancer
24 February 2025
Introduction
Breast cancer was the commonest cancer among females in Hong Kong. It accounted for 28.6% of all new cancers in females diagnosed in Hong Kong in 2022. Males can also get breast cancer though it is rare. In 2022, there were 26 new cases of breast cancer in males.
Incidence
In 2022, 5 182 new cases of female breast cancer were diagnosed. The crude incidence rate of female breast cancer was 129.8 per 100 000 female population. The age-standardised incidence rate* of female breast cancer was 73.7 per 100 000 standard population.
Number of new cases and crude incidence rate of breast cancer in females, 1983 to 2000 （View）
Number of new cases and crude incidence rate of breast cancer in females, 2001 to 2022 （View）
Mortality
Breast cancer was the third leading cause of cancer deaths among females in Hong Kong, after lung and colorectal cancers. In 2023, a total of 834 women died from this cancer, accounting for 13.1% of all cancer deaths in females. The crude death rate of female breast cancer was 20.3 per 100 000 female population. The age-standardised death rate* of female breast cancer was 9.6 per 100 000 standard population.
Number of registered deaths and crude death rate of breast cancer in females, 1981 to 2000 （View）
Number of registered deaths and crude death rate of breast cancer in females, 2001 to 2023 （View）
Trends of incidence and mortality
The age-standardised incidence rate of female breast cancer had an upward trend over the past 40 years (average annual percentage change (AAPC)# between 1983 and 2022: 2.0%) and over the past 10 years (AAPC between 2013 and 2022: 2.4%).
The age-standardised death rate of female breast cancer had no significant trend over the past 43 years and over the past 10 years.
Age-standardised incidence and death rates of breast cancer in females, 1981 to 2022
| Notes: | * | Age-standardised incidence / death rates are compiled based on the world standard population specified in GPE Discussion Paper Series: No.31, EIP/GPE/EBD, World Health Organization, 2001. |
| # | AAPC of age-standardised incidence / death rates is a summary measure of the trends in the age-standardised incidence / death rates over a specified interval estimated from joinpoint regression. | |
| Data in the above charts from 1996 onwards are compiled based on the population estimates under the "resident population" approach instead of the "extended de facto" approach. | ||
| Classification of diseases and causes of death is based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) 10th Revision from 2001 onwards. Figures from 2001 onwards may not be comparable with figures for previous years which were compiled based on the ICD 9th Revision. | ||
| Sources: | Census and Statistics Department Department of Health Hong Kong Cancer Registry, Hospital Authority |
Breast cancer corresponds to codes 174-175 in ICD-9 and C50 in ICD-10.
For more information about cancer statistics in Hong Kong, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Cancer Registry.
For health information relating to cancer, please visit the Cancer Online Resource Hub.
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