Posted on 01/11/2005 12:16:19 PM PST by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The breast cancer rate is rising among women in Singapore and appears to be approaching that seen in Europe, researchers report. The introduction of a Westernized lifestyle and child-bearing pattern may underlie this trend, they suggest.
Lead investigator Dr. Kee-Seng Chia told Reuters Health that the breast cancer incidence in Singapore will continue to increase over the next decades. "In the year 2015, one out of every 10 women is likely to develop breast cancer in her lifetime."
Chia, at the National University of Singapore, and colleagues came to this conclusion after comparing data for more than 10,000 breast cancer cases reported in Singapore from 1968 to 1997 with more than 135,000 Swedish cases in the same period.
The incidence rate of breast cancer increased in Sweden from 54 to 77 per 100,000 women. However, in Singapore the rate increased 20 to 44 per 100,000, the researchers report in the International Journal of Cancer.
They note that the incidence rate was increasing almost three times faster among the youngest age group of women in Singapore than in the corresponding group in Sweden.
In addition, continued Chia, an "increasing number of post-menopausal women will also be coming down with breast cancer as our pattern shifts from the pre-menopausal to post-menopausal age group."
"It is too late for these women to avoid the risk factors," Chia said. However, "Increased self-awareness and early diagnosis can catch the cancer at an early stage and improve prognosis."
SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, January 1, 2005.
*cough* ...contraception *cough*
Is the rate of breast cancer increasing or is the diagnosis being made earlier and earlier?
More likely women die from other causes much earlier in less developed nations.
Contraception, abortion and artificial sweeteners.
And smoking, processed-food diet, and less breastfeeding.
I don't suppose that the fact that they aren't dying in childbirth, from easily preventable diseases, or from tribal violence might have something to do with it?
It could very well be that the rate of detection increases, and that life expectancy increases the number of cancers found (since cancer incidence increases with age).
However, increasing levels of obesity and possibly smoking (since I don't know what portion of the population tested smokes) may also be contributing to a genuinely higher incidence of breast cancer.
bttt
Singapore has had modern medicine for quite some time, and I don't think they were having tribal violence in the late 60's (although I could be wrong).
Contraception, abortion, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup (in everything), and highly processed everything. Longer life for women, earlier screening. All 4 of my grandparents were immigrants. At least 3 of them had family members living into their 90's. Death at 80-something meant accident or epidemic or death in infancy. My maternal grandparents lived in a small town with many other immigrants. And they all had the same story, never seeing these diseases in the old country. Now, diagnostic improvements aside, we're talking about alert, healthy people working into their 80's at least, here in the new country, many keeping 'the old ways'. My mom and my aunt were both young when they had breast cancer. It was literally unheard of on either side of the family. Neither lived past 70. On my dad's side, heart disease and diabetes popped up in his generation, again the older parents and grandparents who had immigrated did not have these diseases and often outlived the younger, American generation. And they drank and ate lots of fat. And this was true of their immigrant neighbor families, to a large extent.
True, this is a personal anecdote, and highly unscientific, but there does seem to be something to it here in the west. Amongst ourselves, as 2nd generation Americans, it is noticed and discussed by us.
Rate is higher now, even in U.S. In the 70s, about 1 in 15 women would get breast cancer. Now it is 1 in 8 -- maybe even worse.
I suspect it is many factors. Having babies at a young age (especially under age 30), more babies, & breast feeding are protective factors. Women are waiting to have children until they are over 30.
Most of breast cancer occurs in the upper, outer quadrants of the breasts. I wonder if shaving under the arms, then applying anti-perspirants every day could have something to do with it.(?) We know that shaving takes off a thin, microscopic layer of skin (that's why it stings to apply alcohol after shaving) -- then adding chemicals to the denuded skin. Then repeating the process every day. For example, just a few cigarettes does not cause lung cancer. It is the daily packs of cigarettes, over many years, that eventually plays a strong hand in developing lung cancer.
I have noticed that almost all women's "deodorants" or really anti-perspirants -- they stop up the pores & prevent secretion of fluids. It could be that the anti-perspirants are blocking the release of toxins.
My guess is that three factors are the cause of most of the higher breast cancer rate. In order of severeity, those factors are: the use of transfatty acids in foodstuffs; birth control pills; and abortions. The first interferes with normal lipid metabolism, while the second two impair natural hormonal metabolism.
Underwire bras probably play a part too. Tehy can block the lymph channels and thus any toxins or bad cells stick around under the arm & build up.
Let's have a serious discussion. I was posing a possibility. I did not say that antiperspirants(not deodorants) caused cancer but I do think it is worth investigating.
Serious question: Why do you think that burn victims with over 70% die so quickly -- when it is only the skin that is burned? What makes the skin such a vital organ? Do you know? What organ gets overwhelmed & fails when the skin quits doing its job?
Yes, genes are proving important but they are not the only factor for breast cancer.
No. What organ failure causes the demise of a patient before infection sets in? Infection takes a few days to set in.
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