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Is Breast Cancer Incidence Rate Further Increasing in Korea?.
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Keun Young Yoo, Hai Rin Shin, Sue Kyung Park, Ha Chung Yoon, Ae Sun Shin, Dae Hee Kang, Dong Young Noh, Kuk Jin Choe
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Korean J Epidemiol. 2001;23(2):1-7.
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Abstract
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Abstract
Breast cancer ranks second to stomach cancer as a primary cancer site. An increasing trend in mortality and morbidity of breast cancet has been shown since 1980s. Studies on migrant populations, in which higher incidences were shown than population in their motherlands, indicated the importance of environmental factors on breast cancer development. Older age, family history of breast cancer, early menarche, late menopause, late full-term pregnancy, never-having had a breast-fed child, and postmenopausal obesity were idenrified as risk factors in Korea. These are not different from risk factors detected in western countries. Nevertheless, a ^-shape age-specific incidences surve is shown in Korea shose incidence is relatively low.
In western countries, where incidence rates are high, the incidences increase with age in a straight line. This difference may be explained by the "Estrogen-Augmented-:rogesterone Hypothesis" that is relevant to sex hormones. In fact, a nuch lower estradiol levels was reported in Korean women compared to those in American. On the other hand, genetic polymorphism is expected for future research on breast cancer etiology. Only preventive strategies based on epidemiology of breast cancer in Korea may effective to counter this malignancy in Korean women.
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Summary
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Current Status of Multicenter Cancer Cohort Study with Biological Materials Bank in Korea.
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Keun Young Yoo, Hai Rim Shin, Song Hun Chang, Jung Myung Choi, Chang Yup Kim, Kun Sei Lee, Won Jin Lee, Dae Hee Kang, Bu Ok Lee, Duck Hee Lee, Sue Kyung Park, Joo Hon Sung, Yeong Su Ju, Dae Sung Kim, Jong Won Kang, Soo Hun Cho
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Korean J Epidemiol. 1998;20(2):275-278.
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Abstract
This cohort study is a collaborative effort of 8 institutions. The goal is to establish a large scale cohort that can be followed for 10 or more years to assess the relationship between life-styles and cancer occurrence, and to evaluate the role of environmental exposures in the development of six major sites of cancers(stomach, liver, lung, colorectum, uterine cervix and female breast) in the rural population. Since 1993, 11,304 men and women aged over 35 living in four areas have been recruited. The number of target population is 30,000 persons, which is expected to be successfully recruited until 1999. Each subject has completed a detailed questionnaire on general life-styles, reproductive factors, and agricultural chemical exposures through the interview. Anthropometric measurements with body fat composition and the routine clinical laboratories were examined. For the cancer-free cohort, physical examination by the physicians and serologic tests for hepatitis markers, some tumor markers, and lipid profile have been done, but not all. In order to provide an opportunity to incorporate barious biomarkers of exposure and effect as well as genetic susceptibility, a biologic tissue bank has been established from blood and urine sample(plasma, WBC buffy-coat, RBC clots, and urine supernatant) stored at-70degrees C.
Re-examination of changes in exposere to risk factors will be done periodically. Disease occurrence will be ascertained by the active(mainly through diagnosis by physicians) and the passive surveillance(through both death certificate and screening of medical utilization records).
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Reproductive Factors Related to Serum Estrogen, Progesterone, and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin in Postmenopausal Women in Korea.
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Chul Hwan Kim, Sue Kyung Park, Heon Kim, Mi Na Ha, Hai Rim Shin, Bu Ok Lee, Dae Sung Kim, Dae Hee Kang, Keun Young Yoo
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Korean J Epidemiol. 1998;20(1):70-81.
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Abstract
The etiology of breast cancer is not yet clear. Several epidemiologic studies have supported the concepts that endogenous female sex hormones, i.e., estrogen and progesterone, may play a central role in the development of breast cancer. Female reproductive factors such as menstruation, pregnancy, and breast feeding are well-known risk factors of breast cancer. There have been many suggestions that all these factors are midiated by female sex hormeones. However, only a few studies have evaluated the relationship between the reproductive factors and endogenous female sex hormones. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the reproductive factors and endogenous female sex hormones in Korean women. We analyzed the relationship between reproductive factors and female sex hormones in 153 premenopausal women 153 postmenopausal women who participated in a community health promotion program in Haman County, Korea. The questionnaires about reproductive factors were completed by personal interview. Serum level of total estradiol(E2), progesterone(:g), and sex hormone binding globulin(SHBG) were measured by radioimmunoassay. There was no significant correlation between age at menarche and E2 in both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups. In postmenopausal subjects, E2 level increased significantly with the age at menopause increasing(r=0.25, p=0.009), adjusting for the potential confounding effect of both age and body mass index. There was a positive correlation between E2 and the intervals between age at menarche and age at menopause(r=0.25, p=0.009). Moreover, the serum level of SHBG was significantly correlated with total months of breast feeding(r=0.19, p=0.048), as well as with age at first fullterm pregnancy(r=-0.24, p=0.01). However, Pg was correlated with none of reproductive factors in both groups.
This study observed that female reproductive factors, e.g., age at menopause, breast feeding, age at first fullterm pregnancy, were correlated with serum female hormones, particularly E2 and SHBG. The results provide an evidence that the relationship between the reproductive factors and breast cancer risk may be mediated, at least in part, through serum female hormones, especially estradiol in Korean women.
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Cigarette Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, and Breast Cancer in Korea.
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Dae Hee Kang, Keun Young Yoo, Sue Kyung Park, Hye Won Koo, Jun Suk Suh, Young Chul Kim, Dong Young Noh, Kuk Jin Choe
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Korean J Epidemiol. 1998;20(1):60-69.
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Abstract
A hospital-based case-control study was conducted to assess the relationship between cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and the risk of bgreast cancer in Korea.
Histologically confirmed incident cases of breast cancer(n=146) were selected from the inpatients at the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital and Borame Hospital during 1994 to 1997. Women ithout self-reported past history of any malignandies were regarded as controls and selected at the same hospitals during the same period(n-153). Information on life-styles including cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and reproductive history were obtained by direct interview using standardixed questionnaire. Each case was matched with one control by 5-year age category(n=146). Adjusted odds ratios and 90% confidence intervals were estimated by unconditional linear logistic regression model. For smokers, age at first smoking was significantly associated with the breat cancer risk(adjusted OR=14.1, 90% CI=1.24-364.2). Particularly noteworthy was an increasing tendency of the breast cancer risk with the duration of alcohol consumtion in years aong alcohol drinkers(ptrend<0.1). These findings suggest that cigarette smoking at an earlier age and alcohol intake might contribute to the risk factor of breast cancer in Korean women. Further investigation on the association between genetic polymorphism of xenobiotic metabolism enxymes of environmental carcinogens and breast cancer should be needed.
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