Women get breast cancer when cells in the breast don't grow right and a tumor forms. Breast cancer is less common in Asian American/Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian women than it is in White or African American women. But, more Asian American/Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian women have breast cancer than do women of Hispanic or American Indian/Alaska Native descent. Also, the number of Asian American/Pacific Islander women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer has really increased. Chinese American and Japanese American women have higher rates of breast cancer than women of their same age in China and Japan. At first, it was believed a Western diet (higher in fat) could explain this difference, but this has not been proven. Among all other populations in the United States, Asian American/Pacific Islander women have the lowest death rate from breast cancer. But, among certain Pacific Islanders, death rates from breast cancer are much higher than other ethnic groups. For example, Native Hawaiians have the highest death rate from breast cancer than any racial/ethnic group in the Unites States. Breast cancer also is the leading cause of death among Filipino women. We do not know why the rates vary between these groups. But, among all ethnic groups in this country, Asian American/Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian women are the least likely to have ever had a mammogram.

We do not know how to prevent breast cancer. There are things women can do to reduce their risk, such as limiting how much alcohol they drink. However, it's vital for women to take steps to find breast cancer if they have it:

*Women aged 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every 1 to 2 years.
*Women should perform a breast self-examination (BSE) every month.
*The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) program provides free or low-cost breast cancer testing to women who don't have health insurance. Non-profit organizations and local health clinics are the main groups who provide the tests. To learn more about this program, please contact the CDC at 1-888-842-6355 or look on the Internet at www.cdc.gov/cancer

Publications

1. Asian Americans and Cancer (Copyright © ICCC) - This publication provides statistical information on the prevalence and rates of cancer among Asian Americans.

2. Asian Pacific Islanders Women's Health - This multilingual site offers several languages to help Asian Pacific Islander women understand the importance of having mammograms and pap smears at regular intervals. Materials are offered in Samoan, Cambodian, Laotian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Thai.

3. Cancer Facts - Screening Mammograms: Questions and Answers - This fact sheet explains screening mammograms as they differ from diagnostic mammograms and explains in clear language the benefits and limitations of screening mammography. This also gives National Cancer Institute's recommendations for when a woman should begin and how frequently she should continue having screening mammograms.

4. Get a Mammogram: Do It for Yourself, Do It for Your Family - Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women of many Asian and Pacific Islander (API) groups in the U.S. Many women do not know they have breast cancer until it is advanced. This brochure, developed by the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services encourages API women in their 40s and older to get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

5. Get a Mammogram: Do It for Yourself, Do It for Your Family (Chinese translation) - Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women of many Asian and Pacific Islander (API) groups in the U.S. Many women do not know they have breast cancer until it is advanced. This brochure, developed by the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services encourages API women in their 40s and older to get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

6. Get a Mammogram: Do It for Yourself, Do It for Your Family (Tagalog translation) - Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women of many Asian and Pacific Islander (API) groups in the U.S. Many women do not know they have breast cancer until it is advanced. This brochure, developed by the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services encourages API women in their 40s and older to get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

7. Get a Mammogram: Do It for Yourself, Do It for Your Family (Vietnamese translation) - Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women of many Asian and Pacific Islander (API) groups in the U.S. Many women do not know they have breast cancer until it is advanced. This brochure, developed by the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services encourages API women in their 40s and older to get a mammogram every 1 to 2 years.

8. Understanding Breast Changes: A Health Guide for all Women - This booklet explains how doctors distinguish breast lumps and other normal breast changes that often occur and are confused with breast cancer. It provides some information on prophylactic mastectomy.

9. What you need to Know About Mammograms and Breast Cancer - This fact sheet provides general information regarding the benefits of mammography and early detection as well as the latest recommendations as to who should have a mammogram.

10. What You Need To Know About™ Breast Cancer - Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States. More than 180,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has written this booklet to help patients with breast cancer and their families and friends better understand this disease.

Organizations

1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, OPHS, HHS

2. American Cancer Society

3. Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum

4. Association of Asian/Pacific Community Health Organizations

5. Cancer.gov

6. National Asian Women's Health Organization

7. National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, NCCDPHP, CDC

8. National Cancer Institute, NIH, HHS

9. National Institutes of Health, OPHS, HHS

10. Office of Minority and Women's Health, BPHC, HRSA, HHS

11. Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS

12. Office on Women's Health, HHS

13. Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation