title: Age of diagnosis of breast cancer in china: almost 10 years earlier than in the United States and the European union.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study aimed to describe the age distribution of breast cancer diagnosis among Chinese females for comparison with the United States and the European Union, and provide evidence for the screening target population in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Median age was estimated from hospital databases from 7 tertiary hospitals in China. Population-based data in China, United States and European Union was extracted from the National Central Cancer Registry, SEER program and GLOBOCAN 2008, respectively. Age-standardized distribution of breast cancer at diagnosis in the 3 areas was estimated based on the World Standard Population 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was around 50 in China, nearly 10 years earlier than United States and European Union. The diagnosis age in China did not vary between subgroups of calendar year, region and pathological characteristics. With adjustment for population structure, median age of breast cancer at diagnosis was 50~54 in China, but 55~59 in United States and European Union.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The median diagnosis age of female breast cancer is much earlier in China than in the United States and the European Union pointing to racial differences in genetics and lifestyle. Screening programs should start at an earlier age for Chinese women and age disparities between Chinese and Western women warrant further studies.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Cancer Therapeutic Vaccine, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China E-mail : qiaoy@cicams.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Qing-Kun
authors.initials: QK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jin-Hu
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Rong-Shou
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Bao-Ning
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhong-Hua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Hong-Jian
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jia-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: You-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Wan-Qing
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005062:European Union; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult