Rise of Breast Cancer Among Asian American Women
Early Detection Remains a Challenge
Chien-Chi Huang was 40 when she requested her first mammogram at the hospital, shortly after her aunt died from breast cancer. The radiologist didn’t detect a tumor because her breasts were dense, making it difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram. Shortly after the mammogram, Huang felt a lump under her armpit and began experiencing flu-like symptoms. Four months later, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Increased Incidence Among Asian American Women Under 50
Since 2000, breast cancer incidence among Asian American and Pacific Islander women under 50 years old has increased by 50%, more than 2% every year since 2012, according to the American Cancer Society. AAPI women in this age cohort had the second-lowest rate of breast cancer among all racial groups in 2000. They now have the highest rate, alongside white women, about 86 per 100,000, NBC News reports.
Why the Spike?
Breast cancer has risen sharply among younger Asian American women in the past quarter century due in part to acculturation and greater awareness around screenings, though experts say more research is required to determine exact causes for specific ethnic groups.
The Role of Dense Breasts
Asian women like Huang have a higher prevalence of dense breasts, meaning there are more glands and tissue than fat, than women of other races, likely due to genetic factors and lower body mass indexes, experts say. Women with dense breasts are four times as likely to develop breast cancer as those with fatty breasts, an issue that experts say needs more awareness.
Increased Westernization and Lifestyle Changes
One possible reason for the spike in breast cancer incidence among AAPI women is increased westernization, or the adoption of lifestyle choices not endemic to Asia, said Scarlett Lin Gomez, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. Established risk factors for breast cancer have typically been more common in westernized and industrialized countries. The increase in breast cancer among women in Asia has been linked to economic development and practices such as delayed childbearing, eating a Western diet high in refined grains and trans fats, growing alcohol consumption, and the use of hormone therapy.
Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities
Asians are more than twice as likely to develop breast cancer than U.S.-born Asian women, a trend that Gomez said could be associated with the higher socioeconomic status and education level of more recent immigrants. Women from higher socioeconomic classes tend to have "more risk factors for breast cancer, especially as they are coming from Asia, where we have been seeing very rapidly increasing rates of breast cancer."
Call to Action
Disaggregating data is key to understanding what’s driving the rapid rise in breast cancer among Asian women, according to Dr. Helen Chew, director of the clinical breast cancer program at UC Davis Health. "There has to be a better effort at categorizing patients and not just lumping groups into the ‘Asian America’ umbrella."
Conclusion
Breast cancer incidence is on the rise among Asian American women under 50, with dense breasts, increased westernization, and socioeconomic status contributing to this trend. It is crucial to address these issues and provide culturally sensitive care to reduce disparities in breast cancer detection and treatment.
FAQs:
Q: What are the key factors contributing to the rise in breast cancer among Asian American women under 50?
A: Density of breasts, increased westernization, socioeconomic status, and lifestyle changes.
Q: Why is early detection still a challenge for many Asian American women?
A: Dense breasts can hide cancer on a mammogram, and cultural and socioeconomic barriers may prevent women from seeking medical attention early on.
Q: What can be done to address the rise in breast cancer among Asian American women?
A: Providing culturally sensitive care, increasing awareness and education, and conducting targeted research to understand the specific needs of different Asian American subgroups.
