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Cancer and Asian Americans

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 Modified: 8/26/2021 10:29:00 AM

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