The number of women with breast cancer in Hong Kong doubled between 1993 and 2004, the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation (HKBCF) said yesterday.

The total number of cases rose from 1,152 to 2,273.

In 2004 alone, the annual increase was higher than any other country or region in Asia. Hong Kong saw its total rise by 6.4 percent over the period, more than double the 3-percent increases recorded on the mainland and in India.

According to the HKBCF, an average of more than six women are diagnosed with breast cancer, the most common form of the disease among women, in Hong Kong every day.

According to the World Health Organization, the average incidence rate of breast cancer in Hong Kong is 47.5 per 100,000 people, almost twice the 23.8 percent average recorded in developing countries and regions.

Polly Cheung, a surgeon and founder of the HKBCF, said Hong Kong has a high incidence of breast cancer because women there have Western food habits, live modern lifestyles and often delay marriage and pregnancy.

Hong Kong women consume large amounts of animal fats, which can contribute to the onset of the disease, she said.

Also, an overexposure to light at night can suppress melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone that is known to repress the growth of cancer cells.

Furthermore, women who put off having a baby until after the age of 35 face a higher risk of contracting the disease, Cheung said.

Hong Kong women have also been found to have a poor awareness of health issues, she said.

In 2006, a survey of more than 800 women by the HKBCF found 71 percent of them had never performed a breast check on themselves.

Forty-six percent said they were unaware screening was important for the early detection of breast cancer and 72 percent of those aged 40-59 - the group most at risk - said they had never had a mammogram test.

All women aged 40 or above should have a mammogram test at least every two years, Cheung said.

Early detection of the disease reduces the need for chemotherapy and greatly increases a woman's chances of survival, she said.

To promote breast health awareness, the HKBCF recently launched an education program for secondary schoolgirls.

They will be taught about early detection through seminars, interactive games and training, the foundation's chairman Joanna Choi, said.

Four schools have so far joined the program, she said.

(China Daily September 21, 2007)