Efforts to improve breast cancer detection among women from Asian societies need education programmes tailored to local culture, a major conference heard yesterday.
The work in China was reported to the Asia conference of the European Society of Medical Oncology, under way in Singapore.
Researchers have been studying the benefits of National Cancer Control Plans across 16 countries.
Their findings, reported to the conference, show the benefits of education programmes tailored to local “culture, religion and social norms.”
The researchers say health services have to overcome barriers such as women fearing to cast stigma on their daughters and fearing that their disease might be contagious.
Professor Masakazu Toi, of Kyoto University, Japan, told the conference: “Since early detection of the disease paves the way for precision medicine and multidisciplinary treatment that can result in improving survival outcomes for breast cancer patients, the healthcare providers and the community need to promote the full range of the patient journey steps, i.e. recognition and awareness of the disease, diagnosis, coordinated care and treatment.
“For multiple reasons as indicated, the promotion activity might be less in these countries as compared with other countries.
“Therefore, the information should be shared in our communities and we need to develop a sophisticated system to decrease breast cancer related mortality. In addition, the advanced diagnosis planning may be helpful for the early detection.”
Abstract: Katherine Hunt. Analysis of the gaps on metastatic breast cancer policies and advocacy efforts to support policy development across the patient journey in Asia.
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