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. 2016 May;66(3):182-202.
doi: 10.3322/caac.21335. Epub 2016 Jan 14.

Cancer statistics for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, 2016: Converging incidence in males and females

Lindsey A Torre  1 , Ann M Goding Sauer  1 , Moon S Chen Jr  2 , Marjorie Kagawa-Singer  3 , Ahmedin Jemal  4 , Rebecca L Siegel  5
Affiliations

Cancer statistics for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, 2016: Converging incidence in males and females

Lindsey A Torre et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2016 May.

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). In this report, the American Cancer Society presents AANHPI cancer incidence data from the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Among AANHPIs in 2016, there will be an estimated 57,740 new cancer cases and 16,910 cancer deaths. While AANHPIs have 30% to 40% lower incidence and mortality rates than non-Hispanic whites for all cancers combined, risk of stomach and liver cancers is double. The male-to-female incidence rate ratio among AANHPIs declined from 1.43 (95% confidence interval, 1.36-1.49) in 1992 to 1.04 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.07) in 2012 because of declining prostate and lung cancer rates in males and increasing breast cancer rates in females. The diversity within the AANHPI population is reflected in the disparate cancer risk by subgroup. For example, the overall incidence rate in Samoan men (526.5 per 100,000) is more than twice that in Asian Indian/Pakistani men (216.8). Variations in cancer rates in AANHPIs are related to differences in behavioral risk factors, use of screening and preventive services, and exposure to cancer-causing infections. Cancer-control strategies include improved use of vaccination and screening; interventions to increase physical activity and reduce excess body weight, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption; and subgroup-level research on burden and risk factors. CA Cancer J Clin 2016;66:182-202. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Keywords: Asian Americans; Native Hawaiians; Pacific Islanders; cancer statistics; incidence; mortality.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Leading sites of new cancer cases and deaths among AANHPIs, 2016 estimates
AANHPI = Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander *Excludes basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers and in situ carcinoma except urinary bladder.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Cancer incidence rates* by cancer site, sex, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander ethnic group, 2006–2010
*Rates based on <25 cases are omitted. Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, 2015.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Trends in incidence and mortality rates for all cancers combined among non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs), 1990–2012
Sources: Incidence: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, 2015. Mortality: National Center for Health Statistics, 2015.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Age-adjusted stage distribution for selected cancers among AANHPIs and NHWs, 2008–2012
AANHPI= Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander; NHW= non-Hispanic white Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, 2015.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Five-year cause-specific survival (%) by sex and site for AANHPIs and NHWs, 2005–2011
AANHPI= Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander; NHW= non-Hispanic white Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, 2015.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Trends in cancer incidence rates among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders by site and sex, 1992–2012
Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute, 2015.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Trends in cancer mortality rates among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders by site and sex, 1990–2012
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2015.
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