Overview

• The analysis estimates the 2025 economic burden at £3.2–£3.5 billion, spanning NHS costs and lost productivity for patients and informal carers.
• Without policy change, the total cost is projected to rise about 31% to £4.2 billion by 2050.
• Raising breast screening uptake to 80% could save up to £185 million in 2025 by enabling earlier detection, with uptake in England at 70% in 2023/24.
• Reducing diagnostic inequalities could save 2,000 lives a year in ethnic minority communities and 3,200 in the most deprived areas, with estimated economic savings of up to £180 million and £389 million respectively.
• Breast Cancer Now urges governments and the NHS to prioritise prevention, earlier diagnosis and equitable access as cancer strategy work moves forward.