Ewha Med J.  2014 Sep;37(2):69-74. 10.12771/emj.2014.37.2.69.

Current Status of Breast Cancer in Korea

• Paik NS

• KMID: 2171286
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2014.37.2.69

Abstract

Malignant neoplasm is the most common cause of death in Korea since 1988. In terms of incidence, still gastric cancer is the most common cancer in male, but breast cancer became the second most common female cancer followed by thyroid cancer. The reasons why incidence of breast cancer is increasing, (1) Westernized food patterns; high fat and high calorie diet, (2) late marriage with lower birth rate, (3) shorter period of breast feeding, (4) longer exposure to estrogen; early menarche with late menopause, hormone replacement therapy, (5) low physical activity with high body mass index, (6) environmental stress, and etc. Still incidence of breast cancer in Korea is relatively low comparing to those of American and European populations, but it is very rapidly increasing with annual increase rate of about 6%. So Korean breast cancer specialists should try to study breast cancer in terms of basic and also clinical aspect and also educate laymen for etiology, symptoms and signs, early detection method including breast self-examination and prevention.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Korea; Etiology; Treatment; Prevention

MeSH Terms

Birth Rate
Body Mass Index
Breast Feeding
Breast Neoplasms*
Breast Self-Examination
Cause of Death
Diet
Estrogens
Female
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Humans
Incidence
Korea
Male
Marriage
Menarche
Menopause
Motor Activity
Specialization
Stomach Neoplasms
Thyroid Neoplasms
Estrogens

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Number of newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients according to the Korean Breast Cancer Society survey [2].

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