A concerning trend has emerged in breast cancer diagnoses among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, with cases rising at an alarming rate compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
According to a report from California Healthline, about 11,000 AAPI women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, resulting in approximately 1,500 deaths. The National Institutes of Health reveals that from 2000 to 2021, breast cancer diagnoses among AAPI women under 50 increased by 52%, while the overall rate for women of all ages, races, and ethnicities grew by only 3%.
This spike in cases has prompted researchers to investigate potential causes for the elevated risk among AAPI women. Experts like Scarlett Gomez from the University of California San Francisco and Veronica Setiawan from the University of Southern California are exploring various risk factors.
Setiawan suggests that cultural shifts and the adoption of Western lifestyles may contribute to the increase. She notes that earlier onset of puberty, delayed childbearing, and reduced breastfeeding – all associated with breast cancer risks – are becoming more common among Asian American women.
The story of Christina Kashiwada, a 36-year-old civil engineer from Sacramento, illustrates the impact of this trend. Despite being healthy and initially dismissing a small, itchy lump in her breast as harmless, a recommended mammogram revealed she had stage 3 breast cancer. Her case exemplifies the growing number of young AAPI women facing unexpected diagnoses.
While research is ongoing, experts agree that more data is needed to fully understand the causes behind this trend. The lack of disaggregated data leaves many questions unanswered, highlighting the need for further investigation into this significant health disparity affecting the AAPI community.
See “Breast cancer cases spike among Asian Pacific women” (September 3, 2024)
