Hereditary Breast Cancer in Korea

Abstract

Genetic Medicine contributed to the observed rate.While the incidence rate of BC is on the rise in Korea, it is still lower than that in Western countries (US: 76.0/100,000 for 2008). However, in contrast to Korea, the incidence rate for female BC has declined in the US since 2000. The dramatic decrease of almost 7% from 2002 to 2003 has been attributed to reductions in the use of menopausal hormone therapy.BC is a multifactorial disease, and the cause of BC is still not well defined. Both genetic and environmental factors have been linked to BC, and include hormone therapy, ionizing radiation, lifestyle, diet, and aging. Familial clustering of BC is common, and genetic