Chinese Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Younger: Why?
How do we interpret this data?
From one perspective, this data could be read in a positive light. The earlier that a patient can detect breast cancer and receive a diagnosis, the earlier she can begin treatment. Treatment always has a better chance of being successful when it is begun at an earlier stage. While it could be positive that Chinese women are being diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than western women, the data is still being studied. Rather than just being a sign of good early detection practices, the data could instead suggest that Chinese women also develop the disease at an earlier stage. This possibility, which seems likely to some researchers, would actually be negative as it would representative a reduced overall lifespan.
