A mini-symposium was held in Montreal, Canada, at the International Surgical Week for the Breast Surgical International in 2007 addressing the question whether breast cancer is the same disease in Asian and Western countries. Numerous investigators from Asian and Western countries presented the epidemiologic and clinical outcome data of women with breast cancer. Although there are significant similarities, the striking difference is that the peak age for breast cancer is between 40 and 50 years in the Asian countries, whereas the peak age in the Western countries is between 60 and 70 years. Also, the incidence of breast cancer in Asia is rising and is associated with increased mortality. In the West, although the incidence is increasing, the mortality rate is definitely decreasing. Future prospective data collection from Asian and Western countries may provide further interesting epidemiologic and outcome data regarding the outcome of women with breast cancer from Asian and Western countries.BackgroundWhether breast cancer is the same disease in Asian and Western countries was the topic of a 2007 Breast Surgery International symposium at International Surgical Week.MethodsParticipating investigators from China, Taiwan, India, Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Canada, and the United States were asked beforehand to provide data on the epidemiology and treatment outcome of women in their countries.ResultsComparisons of the epidemiologic and clinical outcome data of women with breast cancer showed significant similarities, but the striking difference is that the peak age is between 40 and 50 years in Asian countries, but is between 60 and 70 years in Western countries. The incidence of breast cancer in Asia is rising and is associated with increased mortality. In the West, although the incidence is also increasing, the mortality rate is definitely decreasing.DiscussionFuture prospective data collection from Asian and Western countries may provide further interesting epidemiologic and outcome data regarding the outcome of women with breast cancer from Asian and Western countries.

The five-factor structure represents a more psychometrically sound measure of psychological adjustment in the current data set. The findings also support the argument that the relationships between coping and distress vary, to some degree, at different phases in the cancer trajectory. FS is only a positive predictor of psychological adjustment among newly diagnosed patients. Because of the exclusion of two items, FA showed a positive correlation with distress, a result that contradicts previous findings. Further theoretical and practical implications for FS and FA are discussed.