Polymorphisms in genes involved in the estrogen pathway and mammographic density.

BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the estrogen pathway appear to be associated with breast cancer risk and possibly with mammographic density (MD), but little is known of these associations among premenopausal women. This study examines the association of 11 polymorphisms in five estrogen-related genes (estrogen receptors alpha and beta (ERα, ERß), 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (HSD17B1), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1)) with premenopausal MD. Effect modification of four estrogen-related factors (parity, age at menarche, hormonal derivatives use and body mass index (BMI)) on this relation is also assessed. METHODS: Polymorphisms were genotyped in 741 premenopausal Caucasian women whose MD was measured in absolute density (AD, cm²) and percent density using a computer-assisted method. Multivariate linear models were used to examine the associations (P(trend)) and interactions (Pi). RESULTS: None of the SNPs showed a statistically significant association with AD. However, each additional rare allele of rs1056836 CYP1B1 was associated with a reduction in AD among nulliparous women (P(trend) = 0.004), while no association was observed among parous women (P(trend) = 0.62; Pi = 0.02). An increase in the number of rare alleles of the HSD17B1 SNP (rs598126 and rs2010750) was associated with an increase in AD among women who never used hormonal derivatives (P(trend) = 0.06 and P(trend) = 0.04, respectively), but with a decrease in AD among past hormonal derivatives users (P(trend) = 0.04; Pi = 0.02 and P(trend) = 0.08; Pi = 0.01, respectively). Moreover, a negative association of rs598126 HSD17B1 SNP with AD was observed among women with higher BMI (>median) (P(trend) = 0.01; Pi = 0.02). A negative association between an increased number of rare alleles of COMT rs4680 SNP and AD was limited to women who never used hormonal derivatives (P(trend) = 0.02; Pi = 0.03) or with late age at menarche (>median) (P(trend) = 0.03; Pi = 0.02). No significant association was observed between polymorphisms in the ERα or ERß genes and AD. Similar results, although less significant, were observed when MD was assessed in percent density. CONCLUSION: SNPs located in CYP1B1, COMT or HSD17B1 genes seem to be associated with MD in some strata of estrogen-related factors. Our findings suggest that modifying effects of estrogen-related factors should be considered when evaluating associations of polymorphisms in estrogen-related genes with premenopausal mammographic density.

Risk factors for breast cancer from benign breast disease in a diverse population.

BACKGROUND: The majority of studies have reported risks of breast cancer (BC) from benign breast disease (BBD) in essentially homogenous Caucasian populations. Information on breast cancer risk factors in larger, multi-ethnic populations should facilitate the development of appropriate and targeted risk reduction strategies. DESIGN: Cases and controls were drawn from a parent BBD cohort of 4,970 women, 1,341 African-Americans (AA) and 3,629 non-AA who were diagnosed with BBD after examination of an excisional breast biopsy. Risk factors (34 variables) included demographics, lesion types, and epidemiological variables. RESULTS: The final multivariable model retained significance (P < 0.05) for lesion risk-level, fibroadenoma, and the interaction of age-by-race. Women with proliferative lesions (no atypia, risk level 2) were 1.7 times more likely to develop BC when compared with women with non-proliferative lesions (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.13, 2.42, P = 0.009). Women with atypia (risk level 3) were 3.75 times more likely to develop BC compared to women with non-proliferative lesions (OR = 3.75, 95% CI 1.99, 7.06, P < 0.001). The odds of breast cancer was approximately 35% lower among women with fibroadenoma as compared to women without fibroadenoma (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.46, 0.94, P = 0.020). AA women with BBD who were 50 years or older were 2.28 times more likely to develop breast cancer as compared to non-AA women who were less than 50 years old (OR = 2.28, 95% CI 1.34, 3.88, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Women with fibroadenoma (nonproliferative or proliferative) were less likely to progress to BC. Older AA women are at greater risk for progression to breast cancer from BBD.

Help-seeking patterns in Chinese women with symptoms of breast disease: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Prompt utilization of health services on detecting breast symptoms can improve breast cancer (BC) survival. Little is known about Chinese women's help-seeking behaviour. Our aim was to determine patterns of self-referral among Hong Kong Chinese women with self-detected breast symptoms. METHODS: We recruited 37 women awaiting their first consultation at public hospitals for breast symptoms. Interviews were transcribed and analysed based on the grounded theory approaches. RESULTS: A two-stage help-seeking model provided the best interpretation of the data. Symptom recognition was triggered by symptom interpretation, symptom progression and social messages. Painful lumps were seen as symptomatic, but atypical symptoms were often dismissed as benign as they responded to dietary change. Symptom intensification and discussions with someone who had faced BC prompted consultation. Service utilization involved fear of consequences, confirmation need, symptom distress, lay referral, media prompts and opportunistic presentation. Fearing cancer as incurable delayed consultation. Utilization barriers included cost, uncertainty about referral pathways, competing priorities and embarrassment. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical and painless presentation was more common among women delaying presentation. Barriers included cost, access, time and embarrassment. Education should emphasize atypical symptoms, the high-cure rate and the need for early presentation. Reduced cost and improved access to clinics would enhance early consultation.

Mammographic density in a multiethnic cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To compare mammographic density among premenopausal and early perimenopausal women from four racial/ethnic groups and to examine density and acculturation among Japanese and Chinese women. DESIGN: The study included 391 white, 60 African American, 171 Japanese, and 179 Chinese participants in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a multisite study of US women transitioning through menopause. Mammograms done when women were premenopausal or early perimenopausal were assessed for area of dense breast tissue and the percent of the breast occupied by dense tissue (percent density). Information on race/ethnicity, acculturation, and other factors was obtained from standardized instruments. Multiple linear regression modeling was used to examine the association between race/ethnicity or acculturation and density measures. RESULTS: Age-adjusted mean percent density was highest for Chinese (52%) and lowest for African American (34%) women. After additional adjustment for body mass index, menopause status, age at first birth, breast-feeding duration, waist circumference, and smoking, African Americans had the highest mean percent density (51%) and Japanese women had the lowest (39%). In contrast, the area of dense tissue was highest for African Americans and similar for white, Japanese, and Chinese women. Less acculturated Chinese and Japanese women tended to have a larger area of density and a higher percent density. CONCLUSIONS: Neither the age-adjusted nor fully adjusted results for percent density or area of dense tissue reflected current differences in breast cancer incidence rates among similarly aged African American, Japanese, Chinese, and white women. In addition, mammographic density was higher in less acculturated Asian women.

A prospective study of breast anthropomorphic measurements, volume and ptosis in 605 Asian patients with breast cancer or benign breast disease.

OBJECTIVES: The current study aims to summarize breast anthropomorphic measurement features in Chinese patients with breast diseases and to investigate their potential correlations with demographic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen breast anthropomorphic parameters of 605 Chinese female patients were collected prospectively. Breast ptosis status was scaled by two methods and breast volume was calculated according to a modified formula of BREAST-V. RESULTS: Among 1210 breasts, the average breast volume was 340.0±109.1 ml (91.8-919.2 ml). The distance from the nipple to the inframammary fold was 7.5±1.6 cm in the standing position. The width of the breast base was 14.3±1.4 cm (8.5-23.5 cm). The incidence of breast ptosis was 22.8% (274/1204), of which 37 (23.5%) and 79 (31.7%) women had severe ptosis assessed by different criteria. Increased height (OR[odds ratio] = 1.500, P<0.001), post-menopausal status (OR = 1.463, P = 0.02), increased BMI, breastfeeding for 7-12 months (OR = 1.882, P = 0.008) and more than one year (OR = 2.367, P = 0.001) were risk factors for an increased breast volume. Post-menopausal status (OR = 2.390, P<0.001 and OR = 2.621, P<0.001 for different scales), BMI≥24.7 kg/m2 (OR = 3.149, P<0.001 and OR = 2.495, P = 0.002), breastfeeding for 7-12 months (OR = 4.136, P = 0.004 and OR = 4.010, P = 0.002), and breastfeeding for more than one year (OR = 6.934, P<0.001 and OR = 6.707, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for breast ptosis. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides anthropomorphic measurements data of Chinese women with breast diseases, which are useful for cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery decisions. Post-menopausal status, increased BMI, and breastfeeding for more than six months were independent risk factors for both increased breast volume and breast ptosis.

Barriers to breast abnormality follow-up: minority, low-income patients' and their providers' view.

Little is known about the factors associated with delayed or incomplete adherence to recommendations for follow-up when breast abnormalities are seen in minority women. This study examines barriers to follow-up in a cohort of predominantly minority women, with input from providers, using quantitative and qualitative methods. We conducted telephone interviews with 535 women and inperson, unstructured interviews with 31 providers from three medical facilities in the Los Angeles area. Most patient respondents were <50 years old (59.6%), Latina (84.2%), and unmarried (60.9%); half (49.1%) had six or fewer years of education, and most were foreign-born (83.4%). Data from patient and provider groups identified race/ethnicity, country of birth, financial issues, fear of pain, and difficulty navigating the healthcare system as barriers to follow-up, though certain provider-identified barriers did predict adherence among women. System barriers, not individual patient characteristics, were more salient factors in the follow-up of breast abnormalities.

Qualitative cross-cultural exploration of breast symptoms and impacts associated with hormonal treatments for menopausal symptoms to inform the development of new patient-reported measurement tools.

To explore cross-cultural experiences of women taking estrogen plus progestin therapies (EPT) and develop a symptom-based electronic diary and impact questionnaire for EPT-related breast symptoms. (1) Concept elicitation interviews were conducted with women in the US (n=14), Italy (n=15), Mexico (n=15) and China (n=15) to explore breast symptoms associated with EPT. Patients completed the Breast Sensitivity Questionnaire (BSQ) to evaluate understanding and comprehensiveness. (2) Based on concept elicitation, a 6-item eDiary (Breast Pain/Tenderness Daily Diary - BPT-DD) was generated and the BSQ modified forming the 18-item Breast Sensations Impact Questionnaire (BSIQ). (3) The measures were pilot-tested and then cognitively debriefed with US women receiving EPT. All qualitative data was subject to thematic analysis. Concept elicitation identified breast pain/tenderness, swollen breasts and sensitivity to contact as important symptoms, impacting women's emotional well-being, relationships with family/friends, social life, sleep, ability to move freely, contact, clothing and sexual activity. Experiences were relatively consistent across the country samples. Based on pilot testing and cognitive debriefing, the BPT-DD was reduced to 4 items (and renamed the Breast Pain Daily Diary - BP-DD) and the BSIQ was reduced to 13 items due to conceptual redundancy. Women taking EPT in the US, China, Mexico and Italy reported breast sensations that have a detrimental impact on quality of life. Two new measures were developed to assess the severity and impact of breast pain specific to EPT. This work highlights that EPT-related symptoms should be part of treatment decision-making, and treatments with less burdensome side effects are needed.

Breast and gynecologic health-screening behaviors among 191 women with spinal cord injuries.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to advance the understanding of preventive health behaviors of women with spinal cord injury (SCI) by comparing the frequency of preventive health behaviors (a) between women with SCI and women in the general population, and (b) among women with SCI as a function of race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES). DESIGN: Telephone interviews. PARTICIPANTS: 191 women with SCI who had been treated at 1 of 4 Model SCI Systems hospitals. The sample included 66 white women, 59 African American women, 22 American Indian women, and 44 Hispanic women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. RESULTS: Study participants reported significant differences in their frequency of either mammograms or Pap smears when compared with the general population. However, no significant differences were found among study participants when rates were compared by race/ethnicity to the general population. Also, no differences were found among the women with SCI as a function of race/ethnicity or income level. CONCLUSION: The results are encouraging, because no deficits in preventive health care were identified among women with SCI as a function of race/ethnicity or SES.

Tuberculosis of the breast: experience of a UK breast clinic serving an ethnically diverse population.

Tuberculosis (TB) of the breast is an uncommon disease in the West but its incidence is likely to increase. Five cases of breast tuberculosis are presented. The diagnosis and management of this condition are discussed.

The Breast Clinic in University Hospital--a four-month survey.

The breast clinic in the university Hospital Kuala Lumpur was started in August 1993 to cater for the increasing number of women seeking treatment for breast complaints. A four-month survey carried out from January to April 1994 found that Chinese women are more "breast conscious" than Malay and Indian women. The majority of patients were in the reproductive age group. Benign breast diseases form the majority of cases of breast diseases seen. The pick-up rate for new cases of breast cancer was 3.1%. Fine needle aspiration biopsy had a 100% sensitivity during the four-month study, and was a quick method of obtaining a diagnosis.

Geographic access to breast imaging for US women.

PURPOSE: The breast imaging modalities of mammography, ultrasound, and MRI are widely used for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of breast cancer. Geographic access to breast imaging services in various modalities is not known at a national level overall or for population subgroups. METHODS: A retrospective study of 2004-2008 Medicare claims data was conducted to identify ZIP codes in which breast imaging occurred, and data were mapped. Estimated travel times were made for each modality for 215,798 census block groups in the contiguous United States. Using Census 2010 data, travel times were characterized by sociodemographic factors for 92,788,909 women aged ≥30 years, overall, and by subgroups of age, race/ethnicity, rurality, education, and median income. RESULTS: Overall, 85% of women had travel times of ≤20 minutes to nearest mammography or ultrasound services, and 70% had travel times of ≤20 minutes for MRI with little variation by age. Native American women had median travel times 2-3 times longer for all 3 modalities, compared to women of other racial/ethnic groups. For rural women, median travel times to breast imaging services were 4-8-fold longer than they were for urban women. Black and Asian women had the shortest median travel times to services for all 3 modalities. CONCLUSIONS: Travel times to mammography and ultrasound breast imaging facilities are short for most women, but for breast MRI, travel times are notably longer. Native American and rural women are disadvantaged in geographic access based on travel times to breast imaging services. This work informs potential interventions to reduce inequities in access and utilization.

Psychological distress, social withdrawal, and coping following receipt of an abnormal mammogram among different ethnicities: a mediation model.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore ethnic differences in psychological distress and social withdrawal after receiving an abnormal mammogram result and to assess if coping strategies mediate ethnic differences. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational. SETTING: Two urban mobile mammography units and a rural community hospital in the state of Washington. SAMPLE: 41 Latina and 41 non-Latina Caucasian (NLC) women who had received an abnormal mammogram result. METHODS: Women completed standard sociodemographic questions, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the social dimension of the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire, and the Brief COPE. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Ethnicity, psychological distress, social withdrawal, and coping. FINDINGS: Latinas experienced greater psychological distress and social withdrawal compared to NLC counterparts. Denial as a coping strategy mediated ethnic differences in psychological distress. Religious coping mediated ethnic differences in social withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: Larger population-based studies are necessary to understand how ethnic differences in coping strategies can influence psychological outcomes. This is an important finding that warrants additional study among women who are and are not diagnosed with breast cancer following an abnormal mammogram. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nurses may be able to work with Latina patients to diminish denial coping and consequent distress. Nurses may be particularly effective, given cultural values concerning strong interpersonal relationships and respect for authority figures.

Theory of perceived access to breast health care in African American women.

The theory presented in this article proposes an alternative view of access to care on the basis of an African American woman's perception of the necessity, availability, and appropriateness of breast health care. The theory of perceived access to breast health care in African American women may also be useful in framing future research studies exploring the relationship between access to care and utilization of primary, secondary, and tertiary clinical preventive services related to breast health care.

Body, gender, and disease: the female breast in late imperial Chinese medicine.

This paper examines the diverse ways in which Chinese medical experts historically gendered breast disease as a female ailment. By comparing representations of the female breast from the "Imperially-Compiled Golden Mirror of Medical Learning (Yuzuan yizong jinjian, 1742)" to those from earlier and contemporary texts, this paper analyzes how breast disease was alternately categorized as an ailment of childbearing and as a disease rooted in pathological female emotion. Medical awareness of breast disease in men did somewhat challenge these connections between womanhood and disease. Nevertheless, medical illustrations of women helped to reinforce the idea that breast disease was a characteristically female problem.

Breast disease in children and adolescents in eastern Nigeria--a five-year study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: (1) To define the spectrum of breast diseases in the children and adolescents in Eastern Nigeria. (2) To provide where possible, an international comparison of statistical variations of both benign and malignant lesions in these age groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Morbid Anatomy Department of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu is a referral center for over 30 million people. The laboratory receives around 2,000 surgical pathology specimens per year. Virtually all children and adolescents (4-19) years who complained of a breast mass had a biopsy, and results of all excised breast specimens from children and adolescent age groups from 4 to 19 years were included in the study. The case files of these patients were retrieved and reviewed to ascertain the size and duration of the breast lesions. The number of phyllodes tumors seen in the child and adolescent population was compared to those seen in the adult population at the same period. Two independent pathologists reviewed the slides, and their results compared. RESULTS: A total of 1050 breast specimens were received in the department of morbid anatomy from all age groups, from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2004, out of which 121 (11.5%) were breast specimens from the children and adolescent age groups. On the average most patients with benign breast lesions presented within 3-5 months of their symptoms, which usually was a palpable lump detected in all cases by either the child or the mother. Their sizes vary from 2-3 cm and only ten were multiple but they were all confined to one breast. Those with phyllodes presented typically within 3 months probably because of the faster rate of growth. Their sizes varied from 5-13 cm and they were all unilateral. Phyllodes tumor in this age group constitute 28.6% of all phyllodes seen in this period and were all benign. The mean age was approximately 11.5 years while the median age was 18 years. Three cases were malignant. CONCLUSION: Fibro adenoma, fibrocystic breast disease, and low grade phyllodes tumor were the most common breast lesions seen in our children and adolescent population. The three cases of malignancy observed included invasive intraductal carcinoma, a non-hodgkin lymphoma, and metastases involving the lymph nodes from an uncharacterized secondary malignancy. Phyllodes tumors were typically larger in size and tended to present earlier. Genetic characterization of such lesions is recommended for future studies as well as their relationship to lesions seen among other Africans in Diaspora.

Benign breast disease heterogeneity: association with histopathology, age, and ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: Benign breast biopsies with concurrent multiple benign lesions with different histopathologic diagnoses were termed heterogeneous benign breast disease (HBBD). Multiplicity of benign breast disease (BBD) lesions in a biopsy is a risk factor for progression to breast cancer (BC). Elucidation of the biological characteristics and clinical implications of HBBD may also be relevant to the refinement of risks for BC in women with a BBD diagnosis. DESIGN: In this study, we investigated the association of HBBD with histopathology, age, and ethnicity. A cohort of 4,341 women, 1,208 African Americans and 3,133 Caucasians, diagnosed with BBD, was identified after examination of an excisional breast biopsy. BBD biopsies were categorized as nonproliferative (NP, low risk or risk 1 lesions), proliferative without atypia (P, intermediate risk or risk 2 lesions), and proliferative with atypia (AH, high risk or risk 3 lesions). A BBD biopsy with only a single BBD lesion was termed simple BBD (SBBD). BBD biopsies with multiple lesions were further classified as single level HBBD (SL-HBBD) if the concurrent lesions were within the same risk level, or as multiple level HBBD (ML-HBBD) if lesions fell into more than one risk group. RESULTS: In this cohort, 69% of women with a BBD diagnosis fit the HBBD criteria. Among women with HBBD, ML-HBBD was almost three times more prevalent than SL-HBBD and was significantly more likely to be composed of risk 2 and risk 3 lesions. The likelihood of HBBD was 57% higher in Caucasian American women than in African American women with BBD (OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.37, 1.81). The average lesion number in HBBD was directly proportional to increasing lesion risk (P < 0.001). Compared to women with risk 1 lesions, the likelihood of HBBD was 5.59 (95% CI: 4.85-6.44) and 17.0 (95% CI: 10.2-28.5) times higher when risk 2 and risk 3 lesions, respectively, were present. Women in the age range of 46-55 years and >55 years had a 3.12 (95% CI: 2.59, 3.75) and a 2.28 (95% CI: 1.94, 2.68) fold higher likelihood of HBBD compared to those < or =45 years. Significant interaction was found between concurrent lesion levels and age (P < 0.01). The likelihood of HBBD was considerably higher across all age groups for risk 3 lesions. Compared to the reference (risk 1, age < or =45), the likelihood of HBBD for risk 2 lesions was 4.4 times greater (95% CI: 3.70, 5.33) in women < or =45 YEARS, BUT THAT LIKELIHOOD INCREASED TO 17.6 (95% CI: 12.8, 24.2) AND 13.4 (95% CI: 10.1, 17.9) TIMES IN WOMEN OF 46-55 AND >55 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: HBBD is more prevalent in Caucasian American women than in African American women. Women with higher risk BBD lesions are more likely to have HBBD. Lesion number and higher risk BBD lesions are significantly correlated with ML-HBBD. Additionally, the associations of HBBD and lesion risk level are modified by age.

The effectiveness in utilizing Chinese media to promote breast health among Chinese women.

To increase the awareness and practice of breast health guidelines, a media-based education campaign on breast health was launched among immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco. The media campaign included airing two public service announcements (PSAs) on Chinese television and radio stations and publishing the same message in Chinese newspapers during 2000. Seven-hundred-ten face-to-face interviews were conducted with women who were recruited from various settings in the city of San Francisco to evaluate the impact of the campaign. Survey participants were asked to describe the content of the PSAs. Having viewed the PSA was significantly associated with the ability to identify all four guidelines (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.35-2.85), knowing how to perform breast self-exam (BSE; OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.53-3.29), having performed BSE within the past month (OR = 3.12; 95% CI: 2.05-4.74), and having a clinical breast exam (CBE; OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.82-4.90) and mammogram (MAM; OR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.16-3.36) in the past year. The study findings support that a media campaign utilizing PSAs is effective in improving knowledge of breast health guidelines, teaching Chinese women how to (BSEs), and increasing breast health practices.

Benign breast disease in Nigerian women: a study of 657 patients.

A 15-year combined retrospective (222 patients) and prospective (435 patients) evaluation of the pattern of benign breast disease in one region of the African tropics has been completed. Fibroadenoma constituted the largest group (55.6%), followed by mammary dysplasia (fibrocystic disease with fibroadenosis: 29.3%) and sclerosing adenosis (7.9%). Approximately one-third of women were under 20 years and two-thirds under 25. For the 435 patients in the prospective study, a late mean [SEM] age at menarche of 15.3 (2.1) years (controls: 14.2 [2.5], NS; early first full-term pregnancy: 20.4 [1.6] years, (controls: 21.1 [1.1], NS; parity 3.6 [1.7], (controls: 4.1), NS; and prolonged breast feeding (17.6 [2.2] months) did not appear to constitute risk factors to the development of benign breast disease among Nigerian women.

Benign breast disorders in nonwestern populations: Part I--Benign breast disorders in Chinese women.

Experience with benign breast disorders has been analyzed in 3 nonwestern populations: Hong Kong, India, and Northern Nigeria. Similarities to and differences from Western experience are found, but of great interest are notable differences between these populations which, as yet, lack explanation. All show "fibroadenosis" and fibroadenoma as common conditions, but the frequency with which phyllodes tumor is diagnosed varies between different centers in India as well as between different racial groups. Tuberculosis is another interesting example--wide differences in the frequency of breast infection are found although tuberculosis itself is common in all 3 countries. The value of prospective studies was shown when mastalgia was studied in this way in India. Often considered a "Western" affliction, these authors have been able to study 112 cases of mastalgia and found it to be twice as common as cancer as a presentation. These differing experiences between populations have been little explored and must hold promise for unravelling some of the enigmas of benign breast disorders in all countries.

Management of cyclical mastalgia in oriental women: pioneer experience of using gamolenic acid (Efamast) in Asia.

BACKGROUND: In most Western countries gamolenic acid is the first-line treatment for women with cyclical mastalgia. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out in the breast referral clinic of the Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong to evaluate the treatment of cyclical mastalgia using gamolenic acid provided in evening primrose oil (Efamast, Scotia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Scotia House, Stirling, Scotland) as a pioneer experience in Asia. In addition, the features of cyclical mastalgia in Oriental women were studied by conducting a survey using anonymous questionnaires. RESULTS: Sixty-six women with disturbing cyclical mastalgia seen by one breast surgeon were followed up with a breast pain diary. Thirty-four women had persistently disturbing mastalgia and were commenced on Efamast. Responses were measured at 3 and 6 months according to a standardized protocol. An overall useful response rate of 97% was observed at 6 months. Side-effects were found in 12% but all were insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Efamast may be recommended as a first-line specific treatment for Oriental women with disturbing cyclical mastalgia.