The US cosmetics company Estee Lauder organized a charity concert in Shanghai recently to start its breast cancer awareness program in China this year.

The brand campaign is annually held in the United States since 1992.

Chinese pop singers Shun Zi, Zhou Hui, Yu Kewei, Ping Guan and others performed at the Shanghai concert and doctors from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center released a report on the causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the country.

Chinese women suffer breast cancer at relative younger ages compared with Western patients, and early diagnosis and intervention could largely increase their survival rate, according to Fan Jiayu, general president, Estee Lauder China.

Yu Keda, an oncologist with the Shanghai cancer center, says research suggests breast cancer is on the rise globally, and hits Asians younger. About 11 percent of global patients are aged between 35 and 45, while in Asia, up to 12 percent of patients fall into the age category.

A two-year research by the hospital discovered that family history, delay or absence of pregnancy, high-pressure lifestyle and active and passive smoking, are the main factors that increase the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women.

Yu asks women to lead a healthy life and get regular medical checkup to keep away from the disease.

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