In 2025, China will probably be one of the countries with the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world. But what has happened that a country with a traditionally very low incidence in breast cancer has seen those figures turned upside down? To answer this question, Dr. Laura Garcia Estevez, head of the Breast Cancer Section of the Medical Oncology Service at MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid – Hospiten, has launched the project "Stories of women", an initiative about which the doctor spoke on Wednesday, January 31 on the program "La tarde en 24 horas", TVE1. In a 17-minute interview, Dr. Garcia Estevez explained that the goal of the project is to make five documentaries on five continents to explain how women live and feel breast cancer in places as diverse as Asia, Africa or America.
The project is still underway and the doctor has already been to China and Kenya, two places where the reality of breast cancer is very similar: there has been a dramatic growth in the incidence of the disease. In these two countries, breast cancer figures are rocketing and among the factors considered possible causes, may be the adoption of "bad western lifestyle habits" - a more sedentary life, more stress and worse eating habits. On the other hand, the incidence of the disease in the Maasai ethnic group seems to be lower than expected, focusing on an age group of up to 60 years, which is the usual life expectancy. These women have a diet high in fruits and vegetables and regular physical activity on a daily basis, taking care of their children or traveling kilometers to fetch water, for example.
Very different livestyles that make a difference in the incidence of breast cancer and that clearly indicate that diet and exercise can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. Now, the doctor will try to validate these conclusions on the other continents, also showing the most human part of the lives of these women - what worries them, what their fears are or how they feel the disease. For now, the next stop is Nairobi and, then, South America and the United States. An exciting journey through the lives of breast cancer patients around the world that Dr. Garcia Estevez will tell us about thanks to the project "Stories of women".
Fuente: Radiotelevisión Española