Chemoprevention of breast cancer among Asian women--its perspective and problems.
Chemoprevention of breast cancer employing tamoxifen and others has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing the frequency of developing breast malignancy in Western countries. In Asian countries, the frequency of breast cancer as well as its premalignant lesions has recently increased. Therefore, the possible chemoprevention may benefit those women with potential high risks of developing breast cancer and with premalignant lesions. However, the details of these findings of chemoprevention in Western countries have not been available for women with Asian descendant. In addition, risk factors of developing breast cancer in healthy women have not been established in Asian countries compared to Western countries with relative paucity of familial breast cancer cases. Thus, possible chemoprevention of breast cancer in Asian countries may be targeted toward those with established premalignant breast lesions such as ductal carcinoma in situ and/or atypical ductal hyperplasia. However, due to their recent increment of their incidence, biological and/or clinical features of these premalignant breast lesions have not been extensively characterized in Asian women and further investigations are required for wide spread chemoprevention.
Sasano
Hironobu
H
Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryou-machi, 980-8575 Sendai, Japan. hsasano@patholo2.med.tohoku.ac.jp
Suzuki
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D004967:Estrogens; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen