Female breast cancer patients more likely to delay diagnosis: study

SINGAPORE — Female breast cancer patients here are more than twice as likely to get diagnosed only when the disease is at an advanced stage — especially among Malays — as compared to other developed Western countries, a study shows.

In a study done in 2012, about 28 per cent of Singaporean breast cancer patients diagnosed by Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) were in stages three and four of the disease, whereas the figure was less than 10 per cent in other Western countries.

Among Malays, 43.7 per cent had advanced breast cancer by the time they were diagnosed — the highest compared to other races.

Another study done between 2012 and 2015 also showing a similarly worrying trend, albeit with a small sample size of Malay patients.

Associate Professor Patrick Chan, director of TTSH’s Breast Clinic, said that it was difficult to say why certain groups of patients do not seek help earlier. But going by his observation and conversations with patients, fear of being diagnosed was a possible reason, he added.

“Even though they have lumps, they have the idea that if the lump is not painful then it’s not cancer. They think that ‘As long as I am feeling well, and I don’t feel sick or not losing wight then there is no need for screening’,” said Assoc Prof Chan.

He added that Malay women may be deterred from going for screenings as the removal of breasts go against cultural beliefs. Breast cancer patient Zahara Said, who went through breast removal and reconstruction, said that most of her friends and neighbours refuse to go for screening due to the fear of possibly going under the knife and loss of hair due to chemotherapy.

Assoc Prof Chan stressed the importance of early diagnosis as statistics show that patients diagnosed with earlier stages of breast cancer have a higher rate of survival — 90 per cent for stage one and 81.5 per cent for stage two as compared to 61 per cent for stage three and 20 per cent for stage four.