The importance of clinical epidemiology for development of appropriate treatment modalities for Asian populations.
The Asian countries with their own particular cultural background and risk factors differ from the Western world regarding their disease burden, including the incidences of different cancers. The lack of awareness and effective screening programs in many parts of Asia means that the stage at presentation with a neoplasm is often more advanced than is typical elsewhere, with all the inherent associated problems in cancer control. In addition, the presence of racial variation in genetic polymorphisms may mean that different populations in Asia may not respond to chemotherapy or other treatment modalities in the same way as their counterparts in Europe or the United States. Therefore it is essential that research be conducted into the clinical epidemiology of efficacy of drug protocols in Asian groups, with an appropriate focus on influencing factors.
Kawahara
Norie
N
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Tokyo University, Tokyo, Japan. noriekawahara@nifty.com
D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008403:Mass Screening; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors