Findings in the report reviewed here confirm a now well-recognized but unfortunate trend -- breast cancer is being diagnosed more frequently among women living in China. The report suggests that poor diet and lifestyle tendencies explain the increasing rate of breast cancer diagnosis in China. This trend is also true in other Asian countries, particularly among younger women.
Breast cancer is diagnosed less often among women in Asian countries (such as China and Korea) than among women in Western countries (such as the United States and Europe). There are probably many factors that explain this difference. Different genetics are probably a large reason for the differences in breast cancer risk among different populations. But other factors, such as diet and exercise, also can affect breast cancer risk in different groups. In the past, the average woman living in an Asian country such as China:
But increasingly, women living in Asian countries are adopting a typical Western diet and lifestyle, and this fact is undoubtedly contributing to the increase in breast cancer diagnoses. Research has shown that Asian women who live in the United States and have adopted a typical Western diet and lifestyle have breast cancer rates similar to the general U.S. population.
It's also possible that other environmental factors are contributing to the rising rate of breast cancer among women living in China. Rapid industrial growth in China has led to higher levels of air and water pollution, and higher pollution levels have been associated with cancer.
Regardless of your ethnicity or where you live, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of breast cancer. To learn more, visit the breastcancer.org Lower Your Risk section.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Breast cancer has risen sharply in Beijing, China's capital, and in Shanghai, its top financial centre during the last decade due to unhealthy diets, a poor environment and increased stress at work, state media reported on Tuesday.
In Beijing, the incidence of breast cancer has increased 23 percent in 10 years, with about 45 women out of every 100,000 diagnosed with the disease, the China Daily said, citing the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Shanghai, the figures are even worse, at 55 out of 100,000, up 31 percent in the past decade.
"Unhealthy lifestyles are mostly to blame for the growing numbers," Qiao Youlin, a professor at the Cancer Institute and Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, was quoted as saying.
Another survey, carried out by the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, revealed 4,500 new cases in Shanghai every year, or 60 women in 100,000 suffering from breast cancer compared to 17 in 100,000 in 1972.
The findings suggest that 10 percent of the cases are due to heredity, the researchers said.
A separate media report said that a large proportion of men in Shanghai suffered from "bad living habits", which medical experts say can often lead to cardiovascular problems and other common diseases.
"(Men) live in poorer 'mental circumstances' and have poorer life quality than women in general," Shan Li, a Shanghai-based psychologist said.
A study conducted at the 411 Hospital in Shanghai found that 90 percent of men were not aware of the importance of annual check-ups, while 20 percent said they never exercise.
"Common diseases kill more men than women," Huang Qiming, a urologist at the hospital said.
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