Breast Cancer Cases Among Women In Hong Kong Nearly Doubled From 1993 To 2004, Group Says

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 26 Sep 2007 - 3:00 PST

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The number of breast cancer cases among women in Hong Kong increased from 1,152 in 1993 to 2,273 in 2004, the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation announced Thursday, China Daily/China.org.cn reports. According to the World Health Organization, Hong Kong has a breast cancer incidence of 47.5 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 23.8 cases per 100,000 people recorded in developing countries and regions.

Polly Cheung, founder of HKBCF, said women in Hong Kong have a high incidence of breast cancer in part because women in the city have been consuming large amounts of animal fat, which contributes to the onset of the disease. In addition, women often are overexposed to light at night, which can suppress melatonin -- a sleep-regulating hormone that is known to repress the growth of cancer cells, Cheung said. She added that women also are delaying pregnancy until after age 35, which increases the risk of developing the disease (Ho, China Daily/China.org.cn, 9/21).

According to HKBCF, breast cancer was most common among women in their 40s, but an increase in incidence among younger women in the city over the last decade indicates that women should be more proactive in screening for the disease. According to an HKBCF survey of 809 women, 71% did not carry out regular monthly self-examinations of their breasts (Li, South China Morning Post, 9/21). In addition, 46% of the participants said they were unaware screening was important for early detection of breast cancer, and 72% of women ages 40 to 59 said they had never had a mammogram (China Daily/China.org.cn, 9/21).

To raise awareness of the disease, HKBCF on Thursday launched a peer education campaign, called "Breast Friend Training Workshop," that targets women in the corporate sector by appointing "breast friend ambassadors" within companies. The foundation also launched a campaign that will work with secondary school students to advocate healthy living to lower the incidence of the disease (South China Morning Post, 9/21).

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