Ethnicity and birthplace in relation to tumor size and stage in Asian American women with breast cancer

Objectives. This study examined whether Asian American women with breast ca ncer have tumor characteristics associated with delayed defection of their disease. Methods. Breast cancer size and stage were examined in relation to subjects ' ethnic group, and birthplace. on the basis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result program data. Results. Asian-born Asian American women with breast cancer had a greater p roportion of tumors larger than 1 cm at diagnosis (79%)than did ws White wo men (70%) (P<.001). In contrast, the proportion of tumors larger than 1 cm among Asian American women born in the United States (67%) did not differ s ignificantly from that among US White women. Conclusions. Lower utilization of breast cancer screening by Asian-barn Asi an American women is probably responsible For their greater proportion of t umors larger than 1 cm relative to US White women in the study population. Interventional measures should be taken to increase the use of mammographic screening ey first-generation Asian American women.