J Breast Cancer.  2011 Jun;14(2):79-87. 10.4048/jbc.2011.14.2.79.

Risk Factors and Control Strategies for the Rapidly Rising Rate of Breast Cancer in Korea

• Park SK
• Kim Y
• Kang D
• Jung EJ
• Yoo KY

• KMID: 2286505
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4048/jbc.2011.14.2.79

Abstract

Due to the aging population and tremendous changes in life style over the past decades, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Korea. The incidence rate of breast cancer is the second highest in Korea, and it has shown an annual increase of 6.8% for the past 6 years. The major risk factors of breast cancer in Korean women are as follows: Early menarche, late menopause, late full-term pregnancy (FTP), and low numbers of FTP. Height and body mass index increased the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women only. There are ethnic variations in breast cancer due to the differences in genetic susceptibility or exposure to etiologic agent. With the epidemiological evidences on the possibility of further increase of breast cancer in Korea, the Korean Government began implementing the National Cancer Screening Program against breast cancer in 2002. Five-year survival rates for female breast cancer have improved significantly from 78.0% in early 1993-1995 to 90.0% in 2004-2008. This data indicate that improvement of the survival rate may be partially due to the early diagnosis of breast cancer as well as the increased public awareness about the significance of early detection and organized cancer screening program. The current primary prevention programs are geared towards strengthening national prevention campaigns. In accordance with the improvement in 5-year survival rate, the overall cancer mortality has started to decrease. However, breast cancer death rate and incidence rates are still increasing, which need further organized effort by the Korean Government.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Korea; Risk factors

MeSH Terms

Aging
Body Mass Index
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Cause of Death
Early Detection of Cancer
Early Diagnosis
Female
Formycins
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
Humans
Incidence
Korea
Life Style
Menarche
Menopause
Pregnancy
Primary Prevention
Ribonucleotides
Risk Factors
Survival Rate
Formycins
Ribonucleotides

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