| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
© 1996 Oxford University Press
research-article |
Breast Cancer in Singapore: Trends in Incidence 1968–1992
* Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Hospital Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore (0511).
MRC Biostatistics Unit Cambridge, UK.
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer among women in Singapore, a country which has experienced significant changes in lifestyle over the past three decades. The increase in incidence of the disease is a matter of some concem.
METHODS: Data from the population-based Singapore Cancer Registry for 1968–1992 were used to determine time trends, inter-ethnic differences and the contributions of age, period and cohort effects to the incidence of the disease.
RESULTS: Our results revealed an average annual increase of 3.6% over the 25-year period for all women, from 20.2 per 100 000 women in the period 1968–1972 to 38.8 per 100 000 in 1988–1992. There was a statistically significant difference between the three major ethnic groups, the rate of increase being highest in Malays (4.4%) and lowest in Indians (1.4%). The overall increase was attributable to a strong cohort effect that remained significant when adjusted for time period for Chinese women and for all ethnic groups combined. The risk was observed to increase in successive birth cohorts from the 1890s to the 1960s.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that breast cancer incidence rates are likely to continue to increase more sharply in the future as women born after the mid-20th century reach the high-risk age groups. They also suggest the pattern by which important aetiological factors for the disease in our population have exerted their effects, and provide support for the role of demographic and lifestyle changes as possible risk factors.
Keywords population-based, age-period-cohort, ethnic groups, incidence trends, breast cancer
Revised 1 June 1995
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A. H. Wu, R. Wang, W.-P. Koh, F. Z. Stanczyk, H.-P. Lee, and M. C. Yu Sleep duration, melatonin and breast cancer among Chinese women in Singapore Carcinogenesis, June 1, 2008; 29(6): 1244 - 1248. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y.-C. Shen, C.-J. Chang, C. Hsu, C.-C. Cheng, C.-F. Chiu, and A.-L. Cheng Significant Difference in the Trends of Female Breast Cancer Incidence Between Taiwanese and Caucasian Americans: Implications from Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., August 1, 2005; 14(8): 1986 - 1990. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. A. Colditz Epidemiology and Prevention of Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2005; 14(4): 768 - 772. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. D Althuis, J. M Dozier, W. F Anderson, S. S Devesa, and L. A Brinton Global trends in breast cancer incidence and mortality 1973-1997 Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2005; 34(2): 405 - 412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J-H Sng, A B Ali, S C Lee, D Zahar, J E L Wong, V Blake, A Sharif, G Cross, and P T C Iau BRCA1 c.2845insA is a recurring mutation with a founder effect in Singapore Malay women with early onset breast/ovarian cancer J. Med. Genet., October 1, 2003; 40(10): e117 - 117. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Robertson, C. Perone, M. Primic-Zakelj, V. P. Kirn, and P. Boyle Breast cancer incidence rates in Slovenia 1971-1993 Int. J. Epidemiol., December 1, 2000; 29(6): 969 - 974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|