Breast cancer rates are low in Chinese women in Asia but increase on migration to the U.S.  Although diet has received much attention as a possible explanation, few studies have rigorously evaluated the extent to which dietary differences contribute to this transition in breast cancer risk.

One especially useful marker for breast cancer risk is breast density.  Breast density, the percentage of total breast area that appears dense on a mammogram, is strongly associated with breast cancer risk in most studies -- more strongly than other, better-known risk factors.

The objective of this research is to examine the association between diet and breast density in women of Chinese heritage living in the Philadelphia area.

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
 

Dietary measurement in Chinese American women

We developed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) from instruments created previously for other Asian American populations.  Aspects of previous instruments were reviewed and revised based on feedback from two focus groups, each consisting of 8-10 Chinese American women.

To see the FFQ food list, click here.

To see a sample page from the FFQ and its accompanying visual aids, click here.

For a study to evaluate the validity of the FFQ, we recruited 56 Chinese American women through churches and other organizations in the Philadelphia Chinatown.
 

What do Chinese American women eat?

Based on our FFQ, these were the 10 most commonly consumed foods among our participants:
 

How much do they eat compared to the US population overall?

Compared to the US population overall, our study participants had:

• higher intake of beans, green vegetables, and fruits
• lower intake of potatoes, butter, bread, and dairy foods
• similar intake of eggs, sweets, and meat

Developing and validating a diet questionnaire is an essential first step towards investigating diet and the breast cancer risk transition in Chinese American women.  In the next phase of our research, we will examine how diet relates to breast density in this population.
 

Diet and breast density (in progress)

We recruited 250 Chinese American women in the Philadelphia region to participate in a cross-sectional study of diet and breast density.  Participants were recruited through the Mammography Screening Clinic of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, located adjacent to the Philadelphia Chinatown; free mammography screening programs offered by American Cancer Society; community organizations and contacts; and newspaper advertisements. 

Dr. Kathryn Evers at Fox Chase Cancer Center is evaluating mammograms for breast density.  In addition, Dr. Shreekanth Mandayam at Rowan University will use an automated method to assess breast density in digitized images of the mammograms.  Associations between dietary patterns and breast density will be examined in all participants with complete dietary and mammographic data.
 

CONTACT US

For more information about this study, contact Yun Song at 215-728-3586, or email y_song@fccc.edu.

This work is funded by grants IRG-92-027-09 and CRTG-01-018-01-CCE from the American Cancer Society.
 

Last updated February 26, 2004.