What do we know about Breast Cancer in Filipinas?
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer throughout the world.
There are limited publications in the scientific literature that specifically address breast cancer incidence and outcomes in Filipino women.
In a review of 15 Asian countries, the Philippines had the highest breast cancer mortality rate.
Up to 13% of women in Asia with breast cancer are diagnosed before the age of 40. However, the incidence of breast cancer in this age group is higher in Filipino women compared to Asian countries such as Hong Kong and cities such as Bangkok and Shanghai.
Compared to Caucasian women and other women of Asian nativity, Filipinas are diagnosed with breast cancer at an earlier age.
Compared to Caucasian women, Filipinas at the time they are diagnosed have breast cancers that are bigger, with a higher grade (meaning it is more aggressive) and a higher chance of spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.
Compared to Asian Americans, Filipinas have a 1.4 to 3.1 increased risk of aggressive breast cancers called estrogen/ progesterone negative tumors.
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Screening mammography can detect breast cancers when they are small, early stage and easier to treat. This, as well as improvements in treatment, lead to a reduction in breast cancer mortality.
In the Philippines, there is no established country wide mammography screening program, which can contribute to delays in breast cancer diagnosis with a decrease in survival rates, including women with breast symptoms.
Canada has screening programs in all provinces.
Women of Filipino heritage who emigrate to Canada should ideally benefit from improved diagnosis, treatment and survival with metrics similar to other Canadian women.
However, Filipinas have one of the lowest screening rates compared to other ethnicities.
In Canada, screening in Filipinas only range from 41% to 71 %.
Barriers to screening for Filipino women include lack of time, difficulty accessing screening services, different mindsets of health care systems regarding screening, unpleasant experiences with mammography (predominantly pain) and cultural beliefs about breast health.
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