Filipino News 166

ISSUE 166 FILIPINO-KIWI HERO AWARDS | www.filipinoheroes.nz | email: filipinonews@xtra.co.nz | www.filipinonews.nz | 07 BUHAY
www.filipinoheroes.nz : Over a 120 Filipino Kiwi Heroes have been recognised over the years by Filipino News NZ.
NZ
A report by the
Breast Cancer
Foundation
found the median
age for invasive
breast cancer
diagnoses for
Asian Kiwi
women was 52 -
the lowest among
all major ethnic
groups.
The findings
were based on analysis of
data between 2003 and
2020.
The study also found
that compared to other
ethnic groups, Asians had
the largest proportion of
diagnoses in the premenopausal
age group
between 45 and 54.
The Breast Cancer
Foundation's research
manager Adele Gautier
said more needed to be
done to understand breast
cancer among diverse
Asian populations in
Aotearoa.
She said despite Asians
overall higher survival
rates, it's important to
understand where the
pockets of risks were.
"We do know Asian
women have much better
survival, but we need to
know which ones don't
have such good survival
and why that might be,
Asian Kiwi women getting
breast cancer younger
than any other ethnic group,
report shows
and so now we can start
breaking down some of
that data, to understand.
"Because in each population
there are still sub
pockets that have a higher
risk than others, and
those are the people you
really want to talk to,"
she said.
Gautier said Asians
were the ethnicity least
reported on in breast cancer
studies in Aotearoa,
and that there needed to
be more research into patterns
and changes the
group was facing.
She said recent international
studies were showing
an increase in rates of
breast cancer for Asian
women living in western
countries.
Meanwhile, the report
also showed Asian Kiwi
women had the lowest
breast screening rates,
with just over 60 per cent
Lady consulting
with mammologist.
participating
in
screening
pre-pandemic,
and less
than half
of Asian
women
w i t h
breast
cancer
being
diagnosed
through
screening.
Aucklander Sara Chin
was diagnosed with grade
2 breast cancer at age 31.
Her diagnosis came
about after she noticed a
lump in her breast and
got checked at a general
practice.
Chin said she was fit
and healthy at the time of
By Lucy Xia of RNZ
her diagnosis, and was
encouraging young
women to be vigilant and
get checked if they're concerned.
Breast cancer survivor
Lyn Wayman was just 32
when she first got diagnosed
in the
Philippines,
before she
migrated to
New Zealand.
Wayman,
now 73, had
been through
surgery three
times.
Photo credit:
Dreamstime
She said people should
get checked if they notice
something abnormal,
even if they're of prescreening
age.
Wayman said she hoped
the screening age in New
Zealand could be lowered
to include younger
women.
Currently, all women
between 45 and 69 were
eligible for a free mammogram
once every two
years to check for breast
cancer.
Meanwhile, Te Whatu
Ora did not give specific
answers to RNZ's questions
on whether there
would be any targeted
campaign towards
younger Asian women
about breast cancer
symptoms - given the
younger trends.
A spokesperson said
they're aware of the low
screening coverage for
Asian New Zealanders,
but couldn't answer
specifically what would be
done to help lift participation
for Asians.
They said the 2021
budget included $55.6
million to replace
BreastScreen Aotearoa's
information and communications
technology system
over the next four
years, which was expected
to reduce barriers to
screening and improve
equity of access.
- RNZ