Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 5,565 New Cases Diagnosed in 2023

The Ministry of Health released breast cancer morbidity data ahead of October's awareness month. In 2023, 5,565 new cases were diagnosed, 87% of them invasive. Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among women in Israel, accounting for about a third of new cancer cases in women. Despite relatively high morbidity compared to the world, Israel ranks low in mortality, reflecting high survival rates due to advanced diagnosis and treatment.

The Ministry of Health released breast cancer morbidity data in Israel on Tuesday evening, ahead of the annual awareness month in October. The data shows that in 2023, 5,565 new cases were diagnosed, including 4,858 (87%) invasive cases and 707 localized cases. Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy among women in Israel, accounting for about a third of all new cancer cases in women. Alongside the extent of morbidity, positive trends are noted: since 2013, there has been a significant average annual decline of 1.6% in the risk of invasive breast cancer among Jewish and other women, and rates among Arab women have stabilized since 2015. Compared to 186 countries in the World Health Organization, Israel ranks 33rd in incidence but only 125th in mortality—a gap indicating high survival rates due to advanced diagnosis and treatment. By the end of the year, 25,466 women diagnosed between 2019 and 2023 were living in Israel. Additionally, 999 women died from the disease, about 18% of all cancer deaths among women in Israel. The five-year relative survival rate stands at 92% among Jewish and other women and 87% among Arab women. Dr. Lital Keinan, director of the National Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, noted that the data indicate significant progress in dealing with breast cancer in Israel, but emphasized that early detection changes the course of the disease and can save lives.