Breast cancer status, grading system, etiology, and challenges in Asia: an updated review

Abstract

Abstract The number of breast cancer incidences reported worldwide has increased tremendously over the years. Scoping down to Asia, in 2020, the reported incidences of breast cancer are appalling, comprising 1,026,171 cases, occupying up to 45.4% of cases across the globe. Breast cancer is a non-communicable disease, that emerges in variegated forms, self-subsistent, and the etiology is observed to be multifactorial, dependent on the individual reproductive pattern, hormonal factors, diet, physical activity, lifestyle, and exposure to certain advent procedures. Given this complexity, breast cancer is expected to undergo a persistent increment in the number of incidences in near future, exacerbating the public health quality, regardless of race, ethnicity, geographical subgroups, and socioeconomic. In this review article, the authors examine breast cancer in multiple facets, comprising the updated statistics on breast cancer, typically in Asia; etiology of breast cancer; diagnosis of breast cancer; grading system; and challenges in breast cancer from the country’s income perspective. Realizing the ever-increasing demand for quality treatment, here, the article also contemplates common therapies in breast cancer, such as breast-conserving therapy, mastectomy, postmastectomy radiation therapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, axillary surgery, chemotherapy, adjuvant medical therapies, biological and targeted therapies, and endocrine therapy. This review article intended to provide a brief yet broad panoramic view of breast cancer, to readers, ranging from newcomers, existing researchers, and relevant stakeholders in the topic of interest.