Breast Cancer: Earlier cancer risk for black British women

THERE IS A SELF-CHECK YOUR BREAST VIDEO AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE.

Black women in Britain may be at risk of getting breast cancer at a much younger age than white women, new research suggests. The study of breast cancer and ethnic origin is the first of its kind in the UK.
What do we know already?

Across the UK population, we know that older women are at a much higher risk of getting breast cancer than younger women. The most common age range for UK women to be diagnosed with breast cancer is 50 to 64. But because the ethnic background of women is not usually noted in breast cancer records, we don't know if this age range is true for all British women.

Studies in America have suggested that black women are likely to get breast cancer younger than white American women. But until now, there have been no studies to check out whether black women in the UK are also at risk earlier.

What does the new study say?

The study found that black women with breast cancer were much more likely to be under 60 than white women. 74 in 100 black women with breast cancer were diagnosed before the age of 60, compared to just 34 in 100 white women.

Researchers looked at the records of all women who'd been treated for breast cancer at one hospital in Hackney, East London, over a 9-year period. The average age of black women at diagnosis was 46. The average age of white women at diagnosis was 67.

When the researchers compared the two groups of women, they couldn't find anything that would explain the difference in ages, except for the women's different ethnic backgrounds.

Tell me more about the study's findings

The researchers also compared the type of tumours that the women had. They found that, compared to younger white women with breast cancer, younger black women were more likely to have fast-growing cancers that do not respond to some newer types of cancer treatment, including the drug Herceptin. We know that breast cancers in younger women are likely to be faster-growing than in older women, but this research suggests they are even more fast-growing in younger black women.

Where does the study come from?

The study was carried out by researchers at the Institute of Cancer and Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre at Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry at Barts and The London. It was published in the British Journal of Cancer, which is owned by Cancer Research UK.

How reliable are the findings?

The study only looked at one hospital in the UK, so it only includes a limited number of women. The researchers were able to find the right data for only 293 women with breast cancer, 102 of them black and 191 white. So we don't know if you would find the same results if you looked at a much bigger group of black and white breast cancer patients in another part of the country.

However, the difference in ages at diagnosis is very big. It seems unlikely that such a big difference would come about by chance alone. The researchers say we need larger studies to confirm the results.
 


What does this mean for me?

There's no need to panic about the study. Research so far suggests that black women are less likely to get breast cancer than white women, overall. But this study shows that those black women who do get the disease may get it earlier.

The current UK screening programme is for women aged 50 to 70. It is gradually being extended to women aged 47 to 73. But this study suggests black women may need to be screened from a younger age. The researchers say more studies are needed to confirm their results, before this happens.

In the meantime, it's sensible for black women to be aware that, according to this study, breast cancer may be a risk earlier in life. In the Hackney study, black women with breast cancer were most likely to be diagnosed between the mid-30s and the mid-50s.

The women in the study were either white British women, or British women of African or Caribbean descent. Women from other ethnic groups, or of mixed race, were not included in the study.

What should I do now?

All women, whatever their age or ethnic background, need to know what their breasts normally look and feel like, so they can recognise any changes and get them checked out. Breasts are often a bit lumpy or uneven, so knowing what is normal for you, at different times of the month, is important.

You should see your doctor if you have changes in the size, shape or feel of your breasts, a new lump or thickened area in one breast or armpit, any dimpling or redness of the skin, changes to the nipple, or pain on one side that is new to you. Most changes are not breast cancer. But it's important to have them checked, so you can rule it out.

From:
Bowen RL, Duffy SW, Ryan DA, et al. Early onset of breast cancer in a group of British black women. British Journal of Cancer. Published online 8 January 2007.
http://www.askbootshealth.com/health_news/patient_news/january-2008/earlier-cancer-risk-for-black-british-women Other articles and resources:

http://www.nhs.uk/News/2007/January08/Pages/Blackwomengetbreastcancerearlier.aspx

http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/health/science/black-women-get-cancer-younger-$1188589.htm

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/new_research/20090325.jsp

http://www.blacknet.co.uk/Lifestyle/Hair_Beauty/Breast_cancer_in_younger_black_women_more_likely_to_be_an_aggressive_variety.html

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressreleases/2008/january/395509

http://www.health.am/cr/more/breast-cancer-in-black-women2/

Other resources and books:
Coping with Breast Cancer

Your Life in Your Hands: Understand, Prevent and Overcome Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer

Cancer - Step Outside The Box

Cancer-Free -- Third Edition

Cancer & Health- It's All About The Cell

Self-check your breast:

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