Argentina sees declining mortality for prostate and breast cancers

Prostate cancer mortality in Argentina decreased steadily from 12.45 deaths per 100,000 men in 2014 to 9.22 in 2024, a 26% cumulative reduction. The drop is attributed to earlier urological consultations, expanded use of multiparametric MRI, choline and PSMA PET imaging, and newer hormone‑therapy and targeted radiotherapy protocols. The health ministry also added prostate cancer to the list of mandatory notifiable events to improve data collection and planning.

Breast cancer deaths have also fallen across the country over the past three decades. The national crude mortality rate is 25.87 per 100,000 women, with an age‑standardised rate of 21.23. The overall decline is driven largely by women aged 45 and older, whose age‑standardised rate fell to 67.98 per 100,000. However, mortality among women under 45 has remained flat or risen in several provinces, especially in the Northwest and Northeast. Geographic disparities persist: higher mortality clusters in the Pampean provinces (Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, La Pampa) and lower rates in the Northwest, parts of the Northeast, and Patagonia. Neighboring provinces Neuquén and Río Negro show differing rates, reflecting possible gaps in early diagnosis, access to care, and demographic factors.