 More
Chinese women are suffering from breast cancer and are
contracting the disease at an earlier age than a decade
ago, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health.
It
indicates that 3.53 out of every 100,000 Chinese women
died from breast cancer from 1990 to 1992.
From
1991 to 2000, the fatality rate of breast cancer rose
38.7 percent for urban women, and 39.1 percent for those
in rural areas.
There
has been a significant increase in the incidence of breast
cancer among women aged 25-40.
The
youngest victim in the survey was 17 years old, who was
treated at the Cancer Institute and Hospital of the Chinese
Academy of Medical Sciences.
The
most vulnerable group in China are women aged 45-49, 10-15
years younger than their counterparts in the United States.
Professor
Xu Guangwei, honorary director of Peking University's
School of Oncology and the China Anti-Cancer Association,
refuted the argument that only elderly women are susceptible
to the disease.
"Women
of any age group could have breast cancer," he said.
The
causes for the increasing cases of breast cancer among
younger women vary, but all are related to changing lifestyles,
Xu said.
Women
today face increasing pressure in employment and workload.
Meanwhile,
due to the faster pace of life, they tend to have more
junk food and thus a higher fat intake.
Professor
Xu said that early detection by regular mammograms can
help prevent breast cancer.
He
and other medical experts are now promoting the "One
Million Chinese Women Breast Screening Project" and
are working to develop up to 100 screening sites across
the country.
(China Daily October 5, 2005)
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