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Breast Cancer Research
Published in: Breast Cancer Research 6/2010

Open Access 01-12-2010 | Research article

Lifetime risks of specific breast cancer subtypes among women in four racial/ethnic groups

Authors: Allison W Kurian, Kari Fish, Sarah J Shema, Christina A Clarke

Published in: Breast Cancer Research | Issue 6/2010

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Abstract

Introduction

Breast cancer comprises clinically distinct subtypes, but most risk statistics consider breast cancer only as a single entity. To estimate subtype-specific lifetime breast cancer risks, we took advantage of population-based data for which information regarding tumor expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2/neu (HER2) was newly available.

Methods

We included women whose breast cancer was diagnosed in the state of California from 2006 to 2007 and was reported to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (N = 40,936). We calculated absolute lifetime and age-specific probabilities (percent, 95% confidence interval) of developing breast cancer subtypes defined by ER, PR, and HER2 status - luminal (ER and/or PR-positive, HER2-negative), HER2-positive (ER and PR-positive or negative, HER2-positive), and triple-negative (ER-negative, PR-negative, and HER2-negative) - separately for white, black, Hispanic, and Asian women.

Results

The luminal breast cancer subtype predominates across racial/ethnic groups, with lifetime risk lowest in Hispanic women (4.60%, 4.41-4.80%) and highest in white women (8.10%, 7.94-8.20%). HER2-positive breast cancer varies less by race (1.56-1.91%). Lifetime risk of triple-negative breast cancer is highest in black women (1.98%, 1.80-2.17%), compared to 0.77% (0.67-0.88%) for Asians, 1.04% (0.96-1.13%) for Hispanics and 1.25% (1.20-1.30%) for whites. Across racial/ethnic groups, nearly half of all luminal breast cancers occur after age 70.

Conclusions

These absolute risk estimates may inform health policy and resource planning across diverse populations, and can help patients and physicians weigh the probabilities of developing specific breast cancer subtypes against competing health risks.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Lifetime risks of specific breast cancer subtypes among women in four racial/ethnic groups
Authors
Allison W Kurian
Kari Fish
Sarah J Shema
Christina A Clarke
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Breast Cancer Research / Issue 6/2010
Electronic ISSN: 1465-542X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/bcr2780

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