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Breast cancer survival among Japanese individuals and US residents of Japanese and other origins: a comparative registry-based study

  • Epidemiology
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Abstract

Background

Breast cancer survival outcomes vary across different ethnic groups. We clarified the differences in clinicopathological and survival characteristics of breast cancer among Japanese, US residents with Japanese origin (USJ), and US residents with other origins (USO).

Method

Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 dataset and Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS) registry, we included patients first diagnosed with breast cancer between 2004 and 2015. We categorized the patients into three groups based on the database and the recorded ethnicity: Japanese (all those from the JBCS registry), USJ (those from SEER with ethnicity: Japanese), and USO (those from SEER with ethnicity other than Japanese). Excluding patients diagnosed after 2012, stage 0, and 4 patients, we examined the overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, sex, cancer stage, and hormone receptor (HR) status.

Results

We identified 7362 USJ, 701,751 USO, and 503,013 Japanese breast cancer patients. The proportion of HR-positive breast cancer was the highest among USJ (71%). OS was significantly longer among Japanese and USJ than USO (Hazard ratio 0.46; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.45–0.47 for Japanese and 0.66 [95% CI 0.59–0.74] for USJ) after adjusting for baseline covariates. BCSS was also significantly higher in the two groups (HR 0.53 [95% CI 0.51–0.55] for Japanese and 0.53 [95% CI 0.52–0.74] for USJ).

Conclusions

In stage I–III breast cancer, Japanese and US residents with Japanese origin experienced significantly longer survival than US residents with non-Japanese origins.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the patients and institutions involved in the Breast Cancer Registry of the JBCS for their efforts to register patients’ data. We would also like to thank Nancy L. Keating for statistical advice and Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.

Funding

This work was supported by the research fund from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS) (Grant Number: 17003).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA

    Rin Ogiya

  2. Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143, Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan

    Naoki Niikura & Takuho Okamura

  3. Department of Healthcare Quality Assessment, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiraku Kumamaru & Hiroaki Miyata

  4. Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoshinori Takeuchi

  5. Division of Breast Surgery, Tokyo Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan

    Takayuki Kinoshita

  6. Division of Clinical Research Promotion, NHO Shikoku Cancer Center, Matsuyama, Japan

    Kenjiro Aogi

  7. Department of Surgery, Kitakyushu Municipal Medical Center, Kitakyushu, Japan

    Keisei Anan

  8. Department of Breast Oncology, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan

    Kotaro Iijima

  9. Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgical Oncology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

    Takanori Ishida

  10. Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan

    Takayuki Iwamoto

  11. Department of Breast Oncology, Miyagi Cancer Center, Natori, Japan

    Masaaki Kawai

  12. Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan

    Yasuyuki Kojima

  13. Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nippon Medical School Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Sakatani

  14. Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Hakuaikai Medical Cooperation, Sagara Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

    Yasuaki Sagara

  15. Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, St. Luke’s International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Naoki Hayashi

  16. Kotoni Breast Clinic, Sapporo, Japan

    Hideji Masuoka

  17. Department of Diagnostic Pathology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Masayuki Yoshida

  18. Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan

    Hitoshi Tsuda

  19. Department of Breast Surgery, Kyorin University Hospital, Mitaka, Japan

    Shigeru Imoto

  20. Department of Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Hiromitsu Jinno

Authors
  1. Rin Ogiya
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  2. Naoki Niikura
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Contributions

RO, TO, and NN, contributed to the concept and design of the study. RO, HK, YT, YS, and NN contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data, and the drafting of the article. All authors contributed to the revision, approved the final version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naoki Niikura.

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Conflict of interests

Dr. Ogiya, Dr. Aogi, Dr. Kinoshita, Dr. Iwamoto, Dr. Jinno, Dr. Kawai, Dr. Okamura, Dr. Takeuchi, Dr. Yoshida, Dr. Imoto, Dr. Masuoka, Dr. Sagara, and Dr. Kojima have nothing to disclose. Dr. Niikura reports grants from Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co, Nihon Medi-Physics Co. Ltd., Merc Sharp & Dohme, Daiichi-Sankyo (RF-to Tokai University), and personal fees from AstraZeneca, Novartis, Eisai, and Pfizer; Dr. Ishida reports grants from Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Eisai, Kyowa-Kirin, Chugai Pharmaceutical co., Ltd., personal fees from Chugai Pharmaceutical co., Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., and Eisai Co., Ltd. Dr. Hayashi reports personal fees from Chugai-pharma, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Kirin Pharma, Genomic Health Inc., Devicor Japan, and Allergan Japan. Dr. Anan reports personal fees from Pfizer, Chugai Pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca, Eisai, Novartis Pharma, and Eli Lilly. Dr. Tsuda reports grants from Taiho Pharmaceutical Co. and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., grants and personal fees from Roche Diagnostics Co., and personal fees from Konica Minolta Co., Eisai Co., AstraZeneca, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dr. Miyata and Dr. Kumamaru report being affiliated with the department of healthcare quality assessment at the University of Tokyo. The department is a social collaboration department supported by the National Clinical Database, Johnson & Johnson K.K., and Nipro Corporation.

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Ogiya, R., Niikura, N., Kumamaru, H. et al. Breast cancer survival among Japanese individuals and US residents of Japanese and other origins: a comparative registry-based study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 184, 585–596 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05869-y

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