TORONTO -- Filipinos who move
to Canada are diagnosed with breast
cancer at a younger age than women
from other parts of East Asia or
Caucasians, new research has found. They are also more likely to be
diagnosed with a more aggressive
form of cancer and are more likely to
undergo a mastectomy, according to a
paper published online in the Journal
of Immigrant and Minority Health.
“The Canadian Filipino community
is a growing community and this new
research raises the question of whether
our current Canadian guidelines
calling for mammograms starting at
age 50 are meeting specific cultural
needs of different ethnicities when
it is known that it takes years for a
breast cancer to develop,” said Dr. Jory
Simpson, a surgical oncologist in the
CIBC Breast Centre of St. Michael’s
Hospital.
“As Canada continues to ethnically
diversify this new research only
highlights and magnifies the need to
take on a more personalized approach
to preventing and treating breast
cancer.”
Dr. Simpson said it’s known that
women of different ethnic origins have
different risks of developing breast
cancer. When a women emigrates
from an area of low incidence of breast
cancer to an area of high incidence,
her risk increases, possibly due to new
environmental infl uences such as diet
interacting with preexisting genetics.
Dr. Simpson said he believes his
study – albeit a small sample at one
hospital – is the fi rst to look at the
incidence of breast cancer in Filipino
immigrants to Canada. According to
Statistics Canada, Filipinos are the
third largest non-European ethnic
group in the country. Of the 328,000
people of Filipino origin who live in
Canada, many are young women.
Of the 782 patients he studied at
St. Michael’s, which has a sizeable
Filipino patient population, Filipino
newcomers to Canada were diagnosed
with breast cancer at a younger age
(53) compared to other East Asians
(55) and Caucasians (58).
They were also found to be
diagnosed with a form of more
aggressive cancer and have a
higher likelihood of undergoing a
mastectomy. Thirty-seven percent
had a Grade 3 tumour on a scale of
1-3, compared to less than 30 per cent
for other Asians and Caucasians. In
addition, 22.6 per cent tested positive
for the protein HER2, or human
epidermal growth factor receptor 2,
which promotes the growth of cancer
cells. Dr. Simpson said that was
“disproportionately high” compared
to East Asians (14.4 per cent) and
Caucasians (15.1 per cent).
Filipino women with tumours the
same size as their East Asian and
Caucasian counterparts underwent
more mastectomies in this study, 35
per cent, compared with 22.5 per cent
for Caucasian woman and 28.3 per
cent for East Asian women.
St Michael’s Hospital provides
compassionate care to all who enter
its doors. The hospital also provides
outstanding medical education to
future health care professionals in 27
academic disciplines. Critical care and
trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery,
diabetes, cancer care, care of the
homeless and global health are
among the hospital’s recognized areas
of expertise. Through the Keenan
Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing
International Healthcare Education
Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing
Knowledge Institute, research and
education at St. Michael’s Hospital
are recognized and make an impact
around the world. Founded in 1892,
the hospital is fully affiliated with the
University of Toronto.
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