Asian Americans generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population. However, disparities still exist in certain types of cancer.
- From 2014-2018, Asian/Pacific Islander men were 50 percent less likely to have prostate cancer, as compared to non-Hispanic white men, but they were 70 percent more likely to have stomach cancer.
- Although Asian/Pacific Islander women are 20 percent less likely to have breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women, they are twice as likely to have stomach cancer.
- Both Asian/Pacific Islander men and women have almost twice the incidence of liver & IBD* cancer, as compared to the non-Hispanic white population.
- Asian/Pacific Islander men are twice as likely to die from stomach cancer as compared to non-Hispanic white men, and Asian/Pacific Islander women are 2.5 times as likely to die from the same disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white women.
Diagnosis
| Age-adjusted percentages of cancer among adults aged 18 and over, 2019 | |||
| Cancer | Asian | Non-Hispanic White | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 2.5 | 12.4 | 0.2 |
| Breast (women) | 1.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 |
| Cervical (women) | 0.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 |
| Prostate (men) | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.3 |
Source: NCHS 2021. National Health Interview Survey. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults – 2019. [Accessed 7/22/2021]
https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/SHS_adult/index.html
Top Cancer Sites for American Asians (2014-2018)
| Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Men | |||
| Cancer | Asian/Pacific Islander Men | Non-Hispanic White Men | Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 309.1 | 520.4 | 0.6 |
| Colon & Rectum | 37.1 | 42.2 | 0.9 |
| Liver & IBD | 19.4 | 11.3 | 1.7 |
| Lung | 45.0 | 60.7 | 0.7 |
| Pancreas | 10.9 | 16.3 | 0.7 |
| Prostate | 57.7 | 118.9 | 0.5 |
| Stomach | 13.4 | 7.7 | 1.7 |
*IBD = Intrahepatic Bile Duct
Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.24 and SEER*Explorer [ Accessed 7/22/2021].
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/, https://seer.cancer.gov/explorer/
Top Cancer Sites for Asians (2014-2018)
| Cancer Incidence Rates per 100,000 – Women | |||
| Cancer | Asian/Pacific Islander Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 311.5 | 460.2 | 0.7 |
| Breast | 105.1 | 137.9 | 0.8 |
| Cervical | 6.4 | 6.7 | 1.0 |
| Colon & Rectum | 26.5 | 32.7 | 0.8 |
| Liver & IBD | 7.1 | 4.0 | 1.8 |
| Lung | 28.7 | 53.9 | 0.5 |
| Pancreas | 9.3 | 11.9 | 0.8 |
| Stomach | 7.6 | 3.8 | 2.0 |
| Uterus | 22.3 | 28.7 | 0.8 |
Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.25 and SEER*Explorer [ Accessed 7/22/2021].
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/, https://seer.cancer.gov/explorer/
5 Year Survival Rate
Not available at this time.
Death Rate
| Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Men (2014-2018) | |||
| Cancer | Asian/Pacific Islander Men | Non-Hispanic White Men | Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 114.6 | 190.2 | 0.6 |
| Colon & Rectum | 11.2 | 16.1 | 0.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 13.1 | 8.4 | 1.6 |
| Lung | 28.0 | 49.4 | 0.6 |
| Pancreas | 8.1 | 13.0 | 0.6 |
| Prostate | 8.8 | 17.9 | 0.5 |
| Stomach | 6.3 | 3.1 | 2.0 |
Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.20
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/sections.html
| Cancer Death Rates per 100,000 – Women (2014-2018) | |||
| Cancer | Asian/Pacific Islander Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 84.6 | 137.8 | 0.6 |
| Breast | 11.7 | 20.1 | 0.6 |
| Cervical | 1.7 | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Colon & Rectum | 7.9 | 11.5 | 0.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 5.4 | 3.6 | 1.5 |
| Pancreas | 7.1 | 9.6 | 0.7 |
| Stomach | 4.0 | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Uterus | 3.2 | 4.5 | 0.7 |
Source: NCI 2021. Seer Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2018. Table 1.20
https://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2018/sections.html
Screening
Breast Cancer
| Percentage of women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, 2018 (crude) | ||
| Asian Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 57.8 | 68.0 | 0.9 |
Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 33.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]
Cervical Cancer
| Percentage of women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, 2018 (crude) | ||
| Asian Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 62.8 | 63.7 | 1.0 |
Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 34.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]
Colon Cancer
| Adults aged 50-75 who had any colorectal test or procedure, 2018 | ||
| Asian | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 48.3 | 64.0 | 0.8 |
Source: CDC 2021. Health United States, 2019. Table 35.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus19-508.pdf [PDF 3.02MB]
Last Edited: 08/26/2021