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Chronological changes of clinical characteristics in 31,115 new breast cancer patients among Koreans during 1996–2004

  • Epidemiology
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Summary

Breast cancer has emerged as the most frequent malignancy among Korean women. Its clinical features have become closer to those now observed in Western countries. We performed this study to evaluate the chronological changes in Korean breast cancer characteristics and reproductive factors from 1996 to 2004. A nationwide multi-center survey within the Korean Breast Cancer Society (KBCS) has been performed since 1996. We analyzed the chronological changes among newly diagnosed primary breast cancer patients recruited at 41 university- and 65 surgical training-hospitals. All participating hospitals provided the essential information, including sex, age, surgical method used, American Joint Committee on Cancer classification, and other information, including reproductive factors, etc. This study showed a continuous increase in: the incidence of breast cancer (154.3% increase from 3801 to 9667 patients); breast-conserving surgery (124.1% increase from 18.7 to 41.9%); breast reconstruction after operation (25.4% increase from 5.2 to 16.4%); the percentage of early cancer (128.6% increase for stage 0; a 64.8% increase for stage I); and the number of patients with reproductive factors, such as early menarche, late menopause, late first-delivery, and no breast feeding. These results suggest that the rate of breast cancer in Korea is expected to continuously increase in the future; and that the pattern of breast cancer is perhaps mirroring that observed in Western countries.

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Acknowledgements

The Korean Breast Cancer Society thanks the following members who participated to this national study: S.H. Ahn, J.W. Bae, Y.T. Bae, J.W. Baek, J.G. Bong, K.H. Cha, E.S. Chang, I.T. Chang, S.S. Chang, J.W. Cho, S.H. Cho, Y.U. Cho, J.W. Choi, K.J. Choi, M.S. Choi, S.I. Choi, S.Y. Choi, G.S. Goo, S.H. Han, S.J. Hong, J.Y. Hwang, T.I. Hyun, Y.J. Jegal, M.G. Im, Y.G. Joh, S.Y. Jun, B.W. Jung, J.H. Jung, K.H. Jung, P.J. Jung, S.H. Jung, S.S. Jung, Y.H. Jung, D.H. Kang, H.J. Kang, Y.I. Kang, Y.J. Kang, J.H. Keum, D.Y. Kim, H.J. Kim, J.G. Kim, J.H. Kim, J.S. Kim, J.S. Kim, K.C. Kim, S.C. Kim, S.H. Kim, S.J. Kim, S.Y. Kim, S.Y. Kim, Y.S. Kim, B.K. Ko, S.H. Koh, B.H. Koo, J.Y. Koo, B.S. Kwak, C.H. Lee, C.H. Lee, D.H. Lee, D.S. Lee, E.S. Lee, G.S. Lee, H.D. Lee, H.S. Lee, J.C. Lee, J.H. Lee, J.K. Lee, J.S. Lee, J.Y. Lee, K.M. Lee, K.P. Lee, K.S. Lee, K.Y. Lee, M.H. Lee, R.A. Lee, S.C. Lee, S.J. Lee, S.K. Lee, W. Lee, Y.H. Lee, J.W. Leu, C.H. Lim, B.I. Moon, Y.S. Nam, S.J. Nam, D.Y. Noh, W.C. Noh, S.J. Oh, S.S. Oh, W.K. Pae, I.W. Paik, N.S. Paik, B.G. Park, B.W. Park, C.H. Park, H.B. Park, H.Y. Park, J.H. Park, K.H. Park, S.J. Park, S.T. Park, S.W. Park, W.C. Park, Y.K. Park, Y.K. Park, H.S. Seo, K.H. Seo, Y.J. Seo, Y.S. Sin, B.H. Son, G.S. Son, B.J. Song, K.H. Song, Y.J. Song, Y.J. Suh, J.M. Won, D.H. Woo, D.H. Yang, J.H. Yang, K.Y. Yoo, S.Y. Yoo, H.S. Yoon, J.H. Yoon, and S.O. Yoon. The Korean Breast Cancer Society also thanks Sue Kyung Park, M.D., who is a visiting postdoctoral fellow, DCEG, NCI/NIH, USA, for comments and review on earlier version of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

    Sei Hyun Ahn

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Keun Young Yoo

  3. Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan and Asan Medical Center, 388-1 Poongnap-dong, 138-736, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Korea

    Sei Hyun Ahn

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  1. Sei Hyun Ahn
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The Korean Breast Cancer Society

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Correspondence to Sei Hyun Ahn.

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The corresponding authors for the Korean Breast Cancer Society are Sei Hyun Ahn, M.D. and Keun Young Yoo, M.D., Ph.D. A complete list of the participating members of the Korean Breast Cancer Society is given acknowledgements.

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Ahn, S.H., Yoo, K.Y. & The Korean Breast Cancer Society. Chronological changes of clinical characteristics in 31,115 new breast cancer patients among Koreans during 1996–2004. Breast Cancer Res Treat 99, 209–214 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-006-9188-x

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