Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015 February, 235(2)

Perspective

Can We Improve Breast Cancer Mortality in Okinawa? : Consensus of the 7th Okinawa Breast Oncology Meeting

KENTARO TAMAKI,^1,2 NOBUMITSU TAMAKI,^1,2 YOSHIHIKO KAMADA,^1,2 KANO UEHARA,^1,2 HISAMITSU ZAHA,^1,3 MAI ONOMURA,^1,3 MAKOTO UEDA,^1,4 KANAME KURASHITA,^1,5 KEIKO MIYAZATO,^1,5 JUNKO HIGA,^1,6 KYUICHIRO MIYARA,^1,7 MAKIKO SHIRAISHI,^1,8 SHIGEMI MURAYAMA,^1,8 TAKANORI ISHIDA^1,9 and THE 7TH OKINAWA BREAST ONCOLOGY MEETING MEMBERS

¹Okinawa Breast Oncology Meeting Group, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
²Department of Breast Surgery, Nahanishi Clinic, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
³Department of Breast Surgery, Nakagami Hospital, Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan
⁴Department of Surgery, Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, Uruma, Okinawa, Japan
⁵Department of Breast Surgery, Urasoe General Hospital, Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan
⁶Department of Breast Surgery, Tomishiro Central Hospital, Tomishiro, Okinawa, Japan
⁷Miyara Clinic, Urasoe, Okinawa, Japan
⁸Department of Breast Surgery, Heartlife Hospital, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa, Japan
⁹Department of Surgical Oncology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

The rate of breast cancer mortality in Okinawa has gradually been increasing up to 2010. Now Okinawa has the second worst mortality rate in Japan, in part due to the enormous dietary changes resulting from the post-World War II US military occupation, high incidence of obesity, high non-optimal treatment rate, and low breast-cancer screening rate. To reduce breast cancer mortality in Okinawa, we established the Okinawa Breast Oncology Meeting (OBOM) in 2012. At the 7th OBOM held on January 10th, 2014, we discussed the breast cancer mortality in Okinawa focusing on lifestyle, breast cancer screening and optimal treatments. The Okinawan women who were overweight and/or obese during premenopausal and postmenopausal ages had a statistically significant higher risk of breast cancer development compared to those with non-overweight and/or obese women. The traditional diet of Okinawa consists of foods low in calories but rich in nutritional value. Therefore, we recommend Okinawan people not to forget the Okinawan traditional lifestyle, and to reduce their bodyweight to prevent breast cancer. One of the main goals of the OBOM is to raise breast cancer screening attendance rates to 50% (29.2% in 2010). We should standardize the quality control for breast cancer screening in Okinawa. It is important to continue enlightening the Okinawan population to receive optimal treatment. In addition, we are striving to establish systematic medical cooperation between the hospitals specializing in breast cancer treatment with rural hospitals. The OBOM group endeavors to contribute to the improvement of breast cancer mortality in Okinawa.

keywords —— breast cancer mortality; complementary and alternative medicine; geographic disadvantage; lifestyle; screening

© 2015 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015, 235, 111-115

Correspondence: Kentaro Tamaki, M.D.,Ph.D., Department of Breast Surgery, Nahanishi Clinic, 2-1-9 Akamine, Naha, Okinawa 901-0154, Japan.

e-mail: k-tamaki@naha-nishi-clinic.or.jp