Breast cancer is identified as the most common cancer among women in the world (Chlebowski, Chen, Anderson, Rohan, Aragaki, Paskett, and Prentice, 2013). The prevalence rates have increased in the recent past, a trend associated with lifestyle attributes such as improper diets and lack of exercise. In as much as genetics play a contributory role in the development of breast cancer, a significant part is associated with these changes. An interesting aspect is that the ailment affects women differently in relation to differences in racial and ethnic considerations. In this regard, Asian women are the least affected group in the United States of developing breast cancer.
Furthermore, among this single group, the rates of development vary further in accordance with the differences in ethnicity in the Asian category. In this regard, the rate differ three-fold, with Japanese women suffering the highest breast cancer development rate at 126 per 100,000 Japanese women, and the Laotian women, who have the lowest prevalence rate at 44 per 100,000 Laotian women (Chlebowski et al., 2013). However, paying particular attention to comparisons between Asian women and American women, the former have a lower breast cancer prevalence rate than compared to the latter.
PICO Question
Among Asian women, are dieting and lifestyle considerations more effective than genetics screening/detection in reducing the development of breast cancer in two years?
In order to effectively and exhaustively address the above PICO question, this paper has taken into consideration 6 peer-reviewed journals that provide an in-depth analysis into this situation.
So as to understand the scope of the situation, it is prudent to first assess the statistical analysis of this target group in relation to breast cancer prevalence of other women of different racial or ethnic compositions.
Gomez, Quach, Pham, Chang, Keegan, Glaser, and Clarke (2011), indicate that the prevalence rate of breast cancer among women in the United States drastically increased upon the introduction of mammography screening in the 1980s. However, this trend eventually leveled off in the 1990s. The incidence rate has relatively remained the same from the year 2004. In terms of mortality rate in the United States, this increased from the period 1975 to 1980. However from the years 1989-2012, the mortality rate decreased by almost 36% among American women. This trend was attributed to improved treatment methods as well as early cancer detection (Gomez et al., 2011).
Gomez et al. (2013), indicates that in the past, the incidence rate of breast cancer was significantly higher among white women than compared to black women. However, with time, the incidence rate among black women has steadily increased to almost equal that of white women. According to the American Cancer Society, African-American women and White women have the highest breast cancer prevalence rates whereas Asian-American and Pacific Islander women have been identified as having the least prevalence rates. However, in terms of mortality rates, African-American women have the highest rate, at 31 per 100,000 women, while Asian-American or Pacific Islander women register 11.4 per 100,000 women (Chlebowski et al., 2013).
According to Warner, Tamimi, Hughes, Wong, Edge, Winer, and Partridge (2015), the apparent disparities in breast cancer prevalence rates between Asian women and women from other ethnic groups has resulted in spirited debates over the occurrence this situation. In this regard, Asian women are indicated to have lower incidence rates than compared to Western white women. Even though studies have revealed differences in prevalence rates among the different Asian ethnicities, this racial group has enjoyed relatively lower rates than compared to other ethnicities in the world. For instance, in China, the breast cancer prevalence rate is recorded at a mere 18.7 per 100,000 women. This figure differs significantly than that of all ethnicities in United States which is placed at 101.1 per 100,000. From these statistics, China holds the position 142 in the world with respect to breast cancer incidence rates. In the same way, American Chinese women also register low incidence rates than compared to other ethnicities in the United States. In this case, Chinese American women register 55 per 100,000 women, while White Americans account for 142 per 100,000 women (Warner et al., 2015).
The above differences in incidence and consequently, mortality rates, have been associated with lifestyle and diet considerations. In this regard, Huang et al. (2013), indicates that being born of Asian descent does not affect the development of breast cancer among women. On the contrary, according to Huang et al. (2013), the increase in prevalence rates has been attributed to adoption of Western influences. In this regard, a research study revealed that Chinese women who have been American residents for more than 10 years have an 80% risk of breast cancer than compared to the newly-arriving counterparts. In the same way, American-born Chinese women relatively share the same risk as White women.
The results echo another similar study carried out by a Philadelphia based Fox Chase Cancer Center that discovered that the disparities experienced in breast cancer cases are associated with dietary changes (Wu, Yu, Tseng, and Pike, 2012). In this case, the study involved women living in Shanghai, China and were between the ages of 25 and 64 years. The study featured 1,602 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 1,500 healthy women. The results of the study revealed that women who favored a Western-style diets, that is, a ‘Meat and Sweet’ diet, were considered at a 60% higher risk than compared to those who followed a rather traditional diet, that is, a ‘Soy and Vegetable’ diet. The results attributed to estrogen-reception positive rumors which are usually nurtured by estrogen. In this regard, the resulting 90% risk is attributed to a Western-styled diet (Wu et al., 2012).
According to Huang et al. (2013), the above instance is associated with the components comprised of a Western diet. In this case, scientists suspect various elements comprised of the ingredients used in such diets are risk factors in the development of breast cancer. In the same way, ingredients in Asian food have been closely investigated in relation to the low prevalence rates of breast cancer development among Asian women. In this case, this situation is driven by the need to investigate the six-fold difference that exists in comparison in breast cancer development between Western and Asian countries. According to Lee, Li, Yang, Ji, and Zheng (2012), Asian women are wide consumers of soy and green tea. In this case, studies on green tea reveal that it drops the risk of breast cancer development by approximately 30%. In the same way, soy products are also associated with a drop in the prevalence rates. However, the latter only applies significantly if introduced from a young age. In this regard, the risk of breast cancer development in relation to soy consumption from childhood is reduced by almost half. However, if one starts consuming in teenage and adulthood, the reduction of risk is only 25%. The combination of the two elements (soy and green tea) resulted in a two-third decline in breast cancer incidence rate. However, to account for the six-fold risk reduction, a research study conducted on the dietary considerations of Asian women found that women who consumed mushrooms reduced their risk of breast cancer development by almost 64%. The study was conducted on both women diagnosed with breast cancer and healthy women, in relation to the consumption of a daily serving of mushrooms in their diets. In addition, the study found out that the daily consumption of half a mushroom and half a teabag of green tea can lead to a 90% decline in risk of breast cancer development.
This study also relates with T. Collins research study, ‘The China Study’ that revealed that poor women from rural China were less likely to develop breast cancer than compared to their urban counterparts (Lee et al., 2012). This trend was associated with the consumption of plant-based diets than compared to urban women whose diets involved consumption of meat and dairy products. This study also relates to a majority of Western diets that are comprised of the above composition. In order to reduce the prevalence of breast cancer development, according to the Golden Rule of the consumption of a balanced diet and exercise is deemed as the most appropriate remedy to this situation (Lee et al., 2012). In addition, the involvement in frequent testing aids in early detection thereby resulting in lower mortality rates.
Conclusion
Asian women have been associated with lower breast cancer incidence rates than compared to other ethnicities in the U.S. this trend has been attributed to dietary and lifestyle considerations, and less likely to do with genetics. This fact has been proven in the different prevalence rates between Asian-American women and women living in Asia. All in all, the maintenance of a balanced diet and involvement in frequent exercise has been indicated to be the most appropriate interventions in dealing with breast cancer.
References
Chlebowski, R., Chen, Z., Anderson, G., Rohan, T., Aragaki, A., Paskett, E., & Prentice, E. (2013). Ethnicity and breast cancer: Factors influencing differences in incidence and outcome. Vol. 97, No. 6. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. London: Oxford Journals.
Gomez, S., Quach, T., Pham, J., Chang, E., Keegan, T., Glaser, S. & Clarke, C. (2011). Hidden breast cancer disparities in Asian women: Disaggregating incidence rates by ethnicity and migrant status. Sage Journals. Vol. 11, No. 4.
Huang, V., Li, W., Tsai, J., & Begier, E. (2013). Cancer mortality among Asians and Pacific Islanders in New York City. Journal of Cancer Epidemiology. Vol. 4, No. 2. New York: Sage Journals.
Lee, S., Li, H., Yang, G., Ji, B., & Zheng, W. (2012). Adolescent and adult soy food intake and breast cancer risk. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 89, No. 6. New York: American Society for Nutrition.
Warner, E., Tamimi, R., Hughes, M., Wong, Y., Edge, S., Winer, E., & Partridge, A. (2015). Racial and ethnic differences in breast cancer survival. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Vol. 2, No. 3. Washington: American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Wu, A., Yu, M., Tseng, C., and Pike, M. (2012). Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in Asian American women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 89, No. 4. New York: American Society for Nutrition.
