Risk Assessment of Breast Cancer in Guangdong, China: A Community-based Survey

Objectives: Compared with Western countries, the incidence rates for breast cancer in China are still low.However, breast cancer appears to be hitting Chinese women at a much younger age, with a peak between 40and 50 years. Furthermore, breast tumors of Asian women have molecular and genetic characteristics that aredifferent from those of Caucasian women.
Methods: A community-based study was designed to evaluate therelationship between lifestyles and breast cancer risk in Chinese women residing in Guangzhou. 16,314 subjectscompleted the questionnaire. Potential confounding factors included sociodemographic characteristics.
Results:33 individuals reported a history of breast cancer, yielding a prevalence rate of 202.3/100000. Associations betweensubjects’ demographic and breast cancer risk factors were assessed. Breast cancer is associated with familyhistory of breast cancer, X-rays received, benign breast disease and hyperlipoidemia or hypercholesteremiawith elevated odds ratios.
Conclusions: Family history of breast cancer, X-ray received benign breast diseaseand hyperlipoidemia or hypercholesteremia were significantly associated with risk of breast cancer and mayhavepotential for breast cancer risk assessment.