Nation-Wide Korean Breast Cancer Data from 2008 Using the Breast Cancer Registration Program

Abstract

PurposeSince 1996, the Korean Breast Cancer Society has collected nation-wide breast cancer data and analyzed the data using their online registration program biannually. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of Korean breast cancer from 2008 and examine chronological based patterns.MethodsData were collected from 38 medical schools (67 hospitals), 20 general hospitals, and 10 private clinics. The data on the total number, gender, and age distribution were collected through a questionnaire as well as other detailed data analyzed via the online registration program.ResultsIn 2008, there were 13,908 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The crude incidence rate of female breast cancer was 57.3 among 100,000 and the median age was 49 years. The age distribution had not changed since the initial survey; however the proportion of postmenopausal patients had increased and median age was older than the past. In staging distribution, the proportion of early breast cancer (stage 0, I) was 47.2% with, breast-conserving surgery performed in 58% and mastectomy in 39.5%.ConclusionCompared to past data, the incidence of breast cancer in Korea continues to rise. Furthermore, the proportion of those detected by screening and breast conservation surgery has increased remarkably. To understand the patterns of Korean breast cancer, the nation-wide data should continuously investigated.

Changing Patterns in the Clinical Characteristics of Korean Breast Cancer from 1996-2010 Using an Online Nationwide Breast Cancer Database

“…Based on the nationwide incidence data collected by the Korean Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) of the Korea Cancer Center, the number of new breast cancer cases in South Korea has demonstrated a steady rise over time [6-12]. …”

“…Korea has one of the lowest breast cancer incidence rates (43.8 per 100,000 women-years in 2009) [4,5]. However, the incidence rate is rising rapidly and breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Korea [6-12]. To define changing patterns in the clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Korean patients, since 1996, the Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) has compiled data on Korean breast cancer patients.…”

Applying What We Know to Accelerate Cancer Prevention

“…These studies, however, do not always address when in life the important behaviors or exposures (such as diet) are accrued, or even which life-style factors are important. Rapid changes in cancer incidence as populations experience industrialization, such as the soaring breast cancer rates in Korea (9), add further evidence that cancer rates can change in step with social changes and that, therefore, these changes can be reversed through behavioral preventive measures.…”

Differential diagnosis of breast masses in South Korean premenopausal women using diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging

“…[1][2][3] Interestingly, the median age of breast cancer diagnosis in South Korean women is 49, which is about a decade younger compared to women in the United States (61 years of age). 1 The current National Cancer Screening Program Guidelines in Korea recommends a screening mammogram for women >40 every 2 years. However, mammography is well known for its low sensitivity in younger women and individuals with dense breasts.…”