As we kick off October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, data from the Louisiana Tumor Registry at the LSU School of Public Health offer a snapshot of the breast cancer burden in our state.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in both Louisiana and the U.S. In recent years, breast cancer incidence rates have increased slightly. However, since 1989, breast cancer mortality rates among women in the U.S. have declined, attributed to both early detection and advances in treatment.

Between 1989 and 2021, the U.S. mortality rate decreased by 42%. Breast cancer mortality in Louisiana has followed a similar downward trend. However, for 2020–2024, the state’s age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rate was significantly higher than the national rate, according to the National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profiles.

“The decline in breast cancer mortality in Louisiana is encouraging, but our mortality in Louisiana remains higher than the national rate. We must continue promoting prevention, recommended screening, and timely access to quality care so that this progress continues and benefits all women," said Louisiana Tumor Registry Director and Louisiana Cancer Research Center faculty member Xiaocheng Wu, MD, MPH.

Access to the Tumor Registry’s data visualization tool, including incidence data for triple-negative female breast cancer, is available here.

‍