In the ranking of cancer incidence in the year, female breast cancer was the highest cancer after thyroid cancer in 2004–2015, and became the most common cancer in 2016, exceeding the cases of thyroid cancer. The incidence rates of breast cancer have increased steadily over the past two decades and are expected to continue to increase in the next decades, although the incidence rates of all other cancers has declined in Korea. Most of the established risk factors of breast cancer are primarily related to female sex hormones. Other known risk factors are alcohol drinking, a family history of breast cancer, genetic predisposition, and benign breast conditions. Some risk factors, such as physical activity, breastfeeding, and number of children, are modifiable factors that can be targeted for risk reduction. This article summarizes the descriptive epidemiological characteristics of breast cancer in Korea that have been reported and identifies the specific characteristics and secular trends in incidence, mortality, and survival rates of breast cancer up to the present day. It is uncertain whether the risk factors established in western populations will also be valid for the Korean population. To explore this question, we summarize the results from international collaborative studies and meta-analyses of risk factors of breast cancer published to date. The results for Koreans are summarized and described based on results from population-based or nested case-control studies, hospital case-community control studies, cohort studies, and meta-analyses conducted in Korea. This study will be helpful for risk assessment, interventions, and prevention of breast cancer.
Alcohol Drinking ; Breast Feeding ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cohort Studies ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Motor Activity ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and the most common cause of death in Korea. There are currently approximately 200,000 incident cancer cases and 78,000 individuals die from cancer every year. The factors directly related to cancer incidence, including aging, smoking, obesity, and Westernized dietary habits, have been increasing during the past several decades. Since 1999, trends toward increased incidence have been observed for thyroid, breast (in women), colorectal, and prostate cancer. Currently, these trends have changed direction, and the incidence of stomach and liver cancer in both sexes, and cervical cancer in women have continually declined. Although the number of cancer deaths increased by a factor of 2.7 from 1983 to 2016, the age-standardized mortality associated with cancer has been decreasing by 3% every year. The 5-year relative survival rate (RSR) has also improved over the past several decades, especially for stomach, prostate, and breast cancer, which had 5-year RSRs greater than 90% in the most recent report.
Aging ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cause of Death ; Epidemiology* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Liver Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Obesity ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Republic of Korea ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stomach ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the economic loss due to the diagnosis of breast cancer within the female South Korean working-age population. A population-based cost analysis was performed for cancer-related diagnoses between 1999 and 2014, using respective public government funded databases. Among the five most common cancers, breast cancer mortality was strongly associated with the growth in gross domestic product between 1999 and 2014 (R=0.98). In the female population, breast cancer represented the greatest productivity loss among all cancers, which was a consequence of the peak in the incidence of breast cancer during mid-working age in the working-age population, in addition to being the most common and fastest growing cancer among South Korean women. Our study shows that breast cancer not only represents a significant disease burden for individual patients, but also contributes a real, nonnegligible loss in productivity in the South Korean economy.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Costs and Cost Analysis ; Diagnosis ; Efficiency ; Employment ; Epidemiology* ; Female* ; Financial Management ; Gross Domestic Product ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Quality of Life

Breast cancer (BC) is the main common cause of cancer mortality among women in the world. This study aims at investigating BC epidemiology and identifying the different risk factors associated and the most affecting ones among women in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. This study was a hospital-based case-control (1:2), as the study was carried out over the period of October 2014 to February 2015. A total of 105 BC patients, chosen from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City and European hospital for the south governorate, were the case and compared to 209 women as a control group who matched the cases in age, residence, and with no history of breast problems. The age of the enrolled cases and controlled ranged between 18 to 60 years. The face-to-face interview was conducted during the patient visit to the oncology department and the control visit in their home. The result illustrated that women who had late pregnancy (> 35 years) (odds ratio [OR], 11.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64–81.35), or high body mass index (BMI; ≥ 30 kg/m²) (OR, 4.70; 95% CI, 1.62–13.69), or first-degree family history of BC (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.04–7.20), or hypertensive patients (OR, 12.13; 95% CI, 1.93–76.10), or diabetic (OR, 6.84; 95% CI, 1.77–26.36) were more likely to have increased BC risk. The findings of the present study suggest that positive family history of BC, high BMI, and some common diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus) may be the epigenetic factors promoting the occurrence of BC.
Body Mass Index ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Case-Control Studies* ; Epidemiology ; Epigenomics ; Female ; Humans ; Middle East* ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors*

OBJECTIVETo understand the disease burden caused by cancers in Jinchang cohort, and develop effective strategies for cancer prevention and control in this population.

METHODSThe cancer mortality data from 2001 to 2013 and the medical records for cancer patients from 2001 to 2010 in Jinchang cohort were collected. The disease burden caused by cancer was analyzed by using mortality rate, potential years of life lost (PYLL), working PYLL (WPYLL), and direct economic burden.

RESULTSDuring 2001-2013, in Jinchang cohort, the five leading cancers ranked by mortality rate were lung cancer (78.06/100,000), gastric cancer (38.03/100,000), liver cancer (37.23/100,000), esophageal cancer (19.06/100,000), and colorectal cancer (9.53/100,000). The five leading cancers in terms of PYLL (person-years) and WPYLL (person-years) were lung cancer (3480.33, 1161.00), liver cancer (2809.03, 1475.00), gastric cancer (2120.54, 844.00), esophageal cancer (949.61, 315.00), and colorectal cancer (539.90, 246.00). From 2001 to 2010, the five leading cancers in term of average daily cost of hospitalization were gastric cancer (8,102.23 Yuan), esophageal cancer (7135.79 Yuan), colorectal cancer (7064.38 Yuan), breast cancer (6723.53 Yuan), and lung cancer (6309.39 Yuan).

CONCLUSIONSThe cancers common causing higher disease burden in Jinchang cohort were lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer and colorectal cancer. The lung cancer disease burden was the highest.

Breast Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; Cost of Illness ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; Female ; Hospitalization ; economics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; Lung Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; Male ; Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality ; Stomach Neoplasms ; economics ; mortality

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of regular postoperative surveillance to improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer after curative surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 4,119 patients who received curative surgery for breast cancer at Samsung Medical Center between January 2000 and September 2008. Patients were divided into two groups (group I, regular postoperative surveillance; group II, control group) according to their post-therapy follow-up status for the first 5 years after surgery. RESULTS: Among the 3,770 patients selected for inclusion, groups I and II contained 3,300 (87%) and 470 (13%) patients, respectively. The recurrence rates at 5 years for groups I and II were 10.6% and 16.4%, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67 to 1.09; p=0.197). The 10-year mortality cumulative rates were 8.8% for group I and 25.4% for group II (hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.35; p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis for recurrence-free survival (RFS), age over 40 years (p < 0.001), histologic grade 1 (p < 0.001), and pathologic stage I (p < 0.001) were associated with longer RFS but not with follow-up status. Multivariate analysis for overall survival (OS) revealed that patients in group I showed significantly improved OS (hazard ratio, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.37; p < 0.001). Additionally, age over 40 years, histologic grade I, and pathologic stage I were independent prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSION: Regular follow-up for patients with breast cancer after primary surgery resulted in clinically significant improvements in patient OS.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Epidemiology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and features of non-endometrial cancers in Thai endometrial cancer (EC) patients. METHODS: EC patients treated in our institution were identified and the following data were collected: age, EC stage, histopathology, adjuvant therapy, other cancers, living status, and cause of death. RESULTS: The mean age of the 344 patients was 56.8+/-10.8 years. Fifty (14.5%) had other synchronous and metachronous cancers. Mean ages of the patients with or without other cancers were not significantly different, 55.7+/-10.04 years versus 57.1+/-11.0 years, respectively (p=0.358). History of any cancer in the family and tumor in the lower uterine segment were more frequent among the patients with other cancers (6.0% vs. 1.7%, p=0.095; 12.0% vs. 1.0%, p<0.001; respectively). Six patients had > or =2 other cancers. Ovarian, breast, and colon were the three most common other cancers. After a median follow-up of 57.1 months, 18.3% of patients had died: 30.0% of patients with other cancers and 16.3% of those without other cancers. The corresponding EC deaths were 14.0% and 11.2%. The 5-year overall survival was significantly lower in patients who had other cancers: 79.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.3 to 90.3) vs. 86.0% (95% CI, 81.7 to 90.3) than in those without (p=0.023). However, the corresponding disease-specific survival was not significantly different: 85.1% (95% CI, 75.5 to 94.7) compared with 89.0% (95% CI, 85.1 to 92.9), respectively (p=0.514). CONCLUSION: Thai EC patients had a high incidence of other cancers. Overall survival of EC patients who had other cancers was worse than those without, while disease-specific survival was not significantly different.
Breast Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/methods ; Colonic Neoplasms/mortality/pathology/therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Endometrial Neoplasms/mortality/*pathology/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/mortality ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/mortality/*pathology/therapy ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/mortality/*pathology/therapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant/methods ; Tertiary Care Centers/statistics & numerical data ; Thailand/epidemiology

PURPOSE: Newly developed extra-mammary multiple primary cancers (MPCs) are an issue of concern when considering the management of breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MPCs and to evaluate the implications of MPCs on the survival of breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 8204 patients who underwent surgery at Severance Hospital between 1990 and 2012 were retrospectively selected. Clinicopathologic features and survival over follow-up periods of < or =5 and >5 years were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 67.3 months, 962 MPCs in 858 patients (10.5%) were detected. Synchronous and metachronous MPCs were identified in 23.8% and 79.0% of patients, respectively. Thyroid cancer was the most prevalent, and the second most common was gynecologic cancer. At < or =5 years, patients with MPCs were older and demonstrated significantly worse survival despite a higher proportion of patients with lower-stage MPCs. Nevertheless, an increased risk of death in patients with MPCs did not reach statistical significance at >5 years. The causes of death in many of the patients with MPCs were not related to breast cancer. Stage-matched analysis revealed that the implications of MPCs on survival were more evident in the early stages of breast disease. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer patients with MPCs showed worse survival, especially when early-stage disease was identified. Therefore, it is necessary to follow screening programs in breast cancer survivors and to establish guidelines for improving prognosis and quality of life.
Adult ; Aged ; Breast/pathology ; Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis/*mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary/diagnosis/*mortality ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/diagnosis/*mortality ; Prognosis ; *Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis

The purpose of the present review is to give an overview of the association between alcohol intake and the risk of developing cancer. Two large-scale expert reports; the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) report from 2007, including its continuous update project, and the International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC) monograph from 2012 have extensively reviewed this association in the last decade. We summarize and compare their findings, as well as relate these to the public health impact, with a particular focus on region-specific drinking patterns and disease tendencies. Our findings show that alcohol intake is strongly linked to the risk of developing cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, colorectum (in men), and female breast. The two expert reports diverge on the evidence for an association with liver cancer and colorectal cancer in women, which the IARC grades as convincing, but the WCRF/AICR as probable. Despite these discrepancies, there does, however, not seem to be any doubt, that the Population Attributable Fraction of alcohol in relation to cancer is large. As alcohol intake varies largely worldwide, so does, however, also the Population Attributable Fractions, ranging from 10% in Europe to almost 0% in countries where alcohol use is banned. Given the World Health Organization's prediction, that alcohol intake is increasing, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and steadily high in high-income countries, the need for preventive efforts to curb the number of alcohol-related cancers seems growing, as well as the need for taking a region- and gender-specific approach in both future campaigns as well as future research. The review acknowledges the potential beneficial effects of small doses of alcohol in relation to ischaemic heart disease, but a discussion of this lies without the scope of the present study.
*Alcohol Drinking ; Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology/etiology/mortality ; Colorectal Neoplasms/epidemiology/etiology/mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology/etiology/mortality ; Male ; Mouth Neoplasms/epidemiology/etiology/mortality ; Neoplasms/epidemiology/*etiology/mortality ; Public Health ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors

Due to its increasing incidence and longer life expectancy, more patients are being diagnosed with breast cancer at older ages. There are very limited data on the optimum management of older patients with advanced breast cancer, due to the under-representation of such individuals in clinical trials. Although older patients have more indolent disease with more Hormone Receptor positive disease and less HER2-positive disease, their disease-specific mortality remains lower than in younger patients, owing to the late diagnosis, under treatment due to age bias, reduced access to healthcare, and socioeconomic issues. Older patients with advanced breast cancer should be treated based on their biological tumor type, according to the patient's general health and preferences: endocrine treatment for HR-positive disease; Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-targeted agent with chemotherapy, endocrine therapy or HER2-targeted agent alone for HER2 positive disease. Chemotherapy should be considered for patients who are HR-negative, HR-positive but refractory to endocrine treatment, or with a rapidly progressing visceral crisis. Generally, sequential chemotherapy with a single agent is recommended over combination chemotherapy, and agents with known toxicities in older patients are recommended, including weekly taxane, vinorelbine, capecitabine, and liposomal doxorubicin. Some form of geriatric assessment should be performed for older patients to assess the patients' biological age, functional status, and address age-specific problems, leading to early interventions. The goal of therapy should be individualized to maintain the quality of life, function, and independence of older patients with cancer.
Aged ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Delivery of Health Care ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Geriatric Assessment ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Expectancy ; Mortality ; Quality of Life ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Capecitabine