Indian, Pakistani women get aggressive breast cancer at early age: Study

According to the latest study published in the International Journal of Cancer, Indian and Pakistani women are diagnosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer at an early age.

The study, which examined the characteristics of breast cancer among Indian and Pakistani-American and non-Hispanic white women in the US, states that cancer rate within the South Asian ethnic groups in the country is higher.

The researchers from the Rutgers School of Public Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey used the data from from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program.

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They reviewed incidence data among Indian and Pakistani women between 1990 and 2014.

As per the study, the occurrence of the disease in Indian and Pakistani women was lower than in non-Hispanic white women, however, the number of Indian and Pakistani women diagnosed with breast cancer increased over the years.

The researchers also assessed the treatment and survival data between 2000 and 2016 for 4,900 Indian and Pakistani women and 482,250 non-Hispanic white women with breast cancer.

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Research also has shown poor mammogram screening rates in Indian and Pakistani women, which is linked to a lack of family support, lack of transportation, modesty, fear, beliefs that cancer is divine punishment for past deeds, having lived in the United States for less than 10 years, low English proficiency and a lack of faith in the health system.

However, it has been found that Indian and Pakistani women are less likely to die of the disease than their non-Hispanic white counterparts.

The study recommends identifying strategies to better engage Indian and Pakistani women in breast cancer studies and to improve interactions between health care providers and Indian and Pakistani women to identify socio-cultural factors associated with screening decisions and health care use in this population.