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October 28, 2020 – Indian and Pakistani women are diagnosed with breast cancer, including more aggressive forms of the disease, at a younger age, according to Rutgers researchers.
South Asians are the fastest growing major ethnic group in the United States and breast cancer rates are increasing in the population, but little is known about the disease in this socioculturally unique population.
The study, published in the International cancer journal, examined the characteristics of breast cancer in white Indian and Pakistani-American and non-Hispanic women in the United States using data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Researchers, who are part of the Rutgers School of Public Health and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, reviewed incidence data among Indian and Pakistani women between 1990 and 2014. They also reviewed disease characteristics, treatment and survival data from 2000 to 2016 for 4,900 Pakistani and Indian women and 482,250 non-Hispanic white women with breast cancer.
They found that the incidence of breast cancer in Indian and Pakistani women was lower than in non-Hispanic white women; however, the number of Indian and Pakistani women diagnosed with breast cancer increased over the years.
Indian and Pakistani women with breast cancer were more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age and in more advanced stages of the disease. Additionally, they received more subcutaneous or total mastectomies than non-Hispanic white women. While the researchers found that Indian and Pakistani women were less likely to die from breast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, their health was monitored for a shorter time.
“Our results provide insight into breast cancer in Indian and Pakistani women, suggesting several hypotheses to guide future scientific studies to better understand the risk factors influencing the etiology and prognosis of the disease,” said Jaya M Satagopan, Ph.D., lead author and director of the South Asian Center for Quantitative Health and Education at the Rutgers School of Public Health.
Previous cancer research has shown that fewer Pakistani and Indian women are participating in scientific studies and that various sociocultural factors can delay seeking medical care. Research has also shown poor mammogram detection rates in Indian and Pakistani women, which is related to lack of family support, lack of transportation, modesty, fear, belief that cancer is divine punishment for past events, having lived in the United States for less. 10 years old, low level of English and lack of faith in the health system.
“Our study indicated that there are important differences in this population that warrant further study to better understand biological, sociocultural, and system-level factors, such as interactions with the health system, that affect breast cancer detection patterns, diagnosis , risk, and survival among South Asian women, given the scarcity of literature on this topic, “said Elisa V. Bandera, MD, Ph.D., co-leader of the Prevention and Control Research Program. Cancer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and a Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School professor, who is the lead author of the study.
The study recommends identifying strategies to better involve Indian and Pakistani women in breast cancer studies and to improve interactions between healthcare providers and Indian and Pakistani women to identify sociocultural factors associated with screening decisions and the use of health care in this population.
“As the South Asian population grows in the United States, and especially in New Jersey, it is imperative that we work to promote health equity in cancer prevention, detection, early diagnosis, and treatment by engaging the community and a scientific team approach “. said Anita Kinney, director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at the Rutgers School of Public Health and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and a professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, who is also one of the authors of the study.
For more information: www.rutgers.edu
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