Increasing Incidence of Breast Cancer in Asian Women
The incidence of breast cancer among Asian women is rapidly approaching that of Western countries, with a notable trend of diagnosis occurring at an earlier age. In a recent announcement, Associate Professor Chai Ching-Yu from the Clinical Oncology Department of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU, highlighted that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Hong Kong, affecting approximately 1 in every 22 women. Each year, over 2,300 new cases are recorded. Similarly, in major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the breast cancer rate has been steadily increasing, with a 37% rise in incidence and a 38.9% increase in mortality over the past decade. This trend has made breast cancer a significant health threat to urban women.
Earlier Onset Compared to Western Women
Statistical data suggests that around 1.2 million women worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, leading to approximately 500,000 deaths. Recent years have seen a marked increase in breast cancer cases among urban women in China. Furthermore, while the peak age for breast cancer diagnosis in Western women is between 50 and 55, Chinese women experience this peak significantly earlier, usually between the ages of 40 and 45. This difference of nearly a decade raises concerns among health experts.
Factors Contributing to Increased Risk
Associate Professor Chai attributes this worrying trend to several factors beyond genetics. The rising levels of estrogen in women’s bodies are closely related to lifestyle choices, such as a high intake of fast food, the misuse of estrogen-rich beauty products, delayed childbearing, and low rates of breastfeeding. Additionally, urban women often face heightened stress levels, which can disrupt hormonal balance and further increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
Unfortunately, many women have yet to prioritize the "Three Early" strategies: early prevention, early diagnosis, and early treatment. Consequently, breast cancer is frequently discovered only in its advanced stages, with many cases already showing signs of metastasis. Professor Chai emphasizes the importance of regular breast examinations as a preventive measure. Women are advised to self-check for lumps about a week after their menstrual periods and have a breast ultrasound or mammogram every one to two years starting in middle age. Even post-menopausal women should remain vigilant, as tumors may develop long before they are detected.
Promising New Treatments for Advanced Patients
Associate Professor Chai recently shared encouraging findings from a study focusing on patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. These tumors tend to grow faster than other types, with approximately 20-30% of breast cancer patients falling into this category. Women with HER2-positive cancers face a higher recurrence rate, and one-third may experience metastatic spread to vital organs such as the brain, lungs, and liver. Traditionally, treatment options were limited, primarily involving radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapies. Unfortunately, once breast cancer reaches this advanced stage, survival rates plummet, with an average of only a 20% chance of survival for one year.
Breakthrough Findings from the LEAP Study
In a promising development, Professor Chai announced remarkable results from the LEAP study, which demonstrates that combining the targeted therapy drug, lapatinib, with the chemotherapy drug, capecitabine, can enhance overall disease control in advanced breast cancer patients to an impressive 88%.
As of November last year, this global study involved 2,991 patients, with clinical research conducted on 17 Chinese breast cancer patients at Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. This combination treatment has shown considerable effectiveness for women with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, with 35% of tumors shrinking by over 50% and a stabilization period of around 30 weeks.
Advantages of the New Therapy
Lapatinib is a small molecule that effectively penetrates the blood-brain barrier, exhibiting a clinical efficacy rate of 70% for HER2-positive breast cancers that have spread to the brain. The combined therapy also presents additional benefits, such as lower toxicity to the heart and the convenience of oral administration, allowing patients to avoid hospitalization.
These advancements in treatment offer hope for improved survival rates among advanced breast cancer patients, showcasing the importance of ongoing research in combating this significant healthcare challenge.