Breast cancer mortality trends in the WEST compared to the EAST: lives gained, lives lost.

Abstract

Abstract Abstract #6082 INTRODUCTION: Breast Cancer (BrCa) Mortality trends between 1950 – 2005 were reviewed between the Western (WEST) and Eastern Asian (EAST) countries, with the objective to gain understanding between therapeutic and diagnostic interventions and underlying epidemiology factors determining BrCa outcomes.
 METHODOLOGY: We compared BrCa mortality trends in the WEST (Canada, UK, USA) and in the EAST (Japan and China-Shanghai). Data were obtained from WHO - IARC, Lyon (Canada, USA, UK, Japan); and from the Shanghai Cancer Registry (China-Shanghai). We analyzed age-standardized annual mortality rates per 100,000 / population (as per 1960 world standard population). Mortality trends were expressed relative to the baseline (year 1950 for all, year 1973 for China-Sha).
 RESULTS: The baseline mortality rates were: 22.5 for Canada; 23.5 for UK; 21.6 for USA, 4.1 for Japan; and 7.3 for China-Shanghai.
 
 CONCLUSION. These data confirm a substantial mortality reduction in the WEST evident after the 1980's - 1990's, likely reflecting the interaction of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions (mammography, education, systemic / locoregional therapies, etc). The different timing and extent of mortality reduction in the WEST probably reflect different degree of implementation of the interactive factors.
 On the other hand, mortality is increasing in the EAST, in parallel with the “westernization” of those regions (industrialization, diet, etc, Ref. [NEJM; 2008:358;3)]. For the EAST, our data also support a correlation between the timing / extent of the “westernization” and mortality trend dynamics (i.e. mortality increase in Japan 20 years earlier than China). Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 6082.