Endogenous and exogenous risk factors affecting the incidence of breast cancer in the population of Yakutia

Abstract

The purpose of the study: to analyze the breast cancer incidence and breast cancer risk factors for the population of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in 2011-2020. Material and Methods. The incidence of breast cancer in the population of Yakutia was analyzed using the data collected from population-based cancer registries of the Russian cancer statistics covering the period 2011-2020. The analysis of breast cancer risk factors was carried out using the data from systematic reviews published over the past 5 years (2018-2022). Results. The age-standardized incidence rates of breast cancer among the indigenous population of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) were lower than those in other Siberian ethnic groups and the Slavic population, amounting to 12.7 per 100,000 population. The rise in the breast cancer incidence rates in the region for 2011-2020 was associated with the aging of the population, since the trend in the population growth was not observed in the analysis of age-standardized rates. Conclusion. The breast cancer incidence rates among the indigenous population of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are significantly lower compared to those observed in other ethnic groups living in Siberia. The rise in the breast cancer incidence rates in Yakutia is related to the aging of the population. The low age-standardized breast cancer incidence rates may be explained by a low consumption of hormonal agents and natural reproductive behavior. The search for ethno-specific mutations associated with breast cancer in the Yakut population as endogenous risk factors is of great importance. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of North-adaptive genetic mutations in the development of breast cancer. The assessment of the role of natural polyphenolic compounds, the content of which is high in wild berries (historically, a significant proportion of the food consumed by indigenous people), as a protective factor, is promising.

Keywords

• breast cancer
• risk factors
• protective factors
• incidence
• indigenous population
• yakutia