RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Culture, Attitude and Knowledge about Breast Cancer and Preventive Measures: a Qualitative Study of South Asian Breast Cancer Patients in the UK

Studies of cancer epidemiology in the UK continue to show ethnic differences in cancer incidence and mortality (Bhopal & Rankin, 1996; Bahl, 1996; Moller, 2008; BenShlomo, 2008). Although cancer incidence is somewhat lower among minority ethnic people than the majority white population, cancer mortality is consistently higher among minority ethnic people. Biomedical and socioeconomic factors are strong influences but cannot fully explain these differences (Lannin et al., 1998). Breast cancer is a major cause of death in South Asian women (Bhopal & Rankin 1996). Poor survival rate in this group of women, when compared to white women can be explained by low uptake rate in breast screening (Rudiman et al., 1995; Hoare, 1996; Sutton et al., 2001); delayed diagnosis; and late presentation of disease (Ramirez et al, 1999; Richards et al.,1999). The reasons for these ethnic differences are not clear, although recent evidence suggested that tumour size and type could be an attribute (Bowen et al, 2008). Reasons