Risk of cancer in Asian Americans: a Kaiser Permanente cohort study

Abstract

Purpose

To supplement published cohort data about incident cancer in Asian Americans (Asians) including risk of specific Asian ethnic groups.

Methods

A cohort study in 124,193 persons (13,344 Asians) with baseline examination data in 1978–1985 used Cox proportional hazards models with seven covariates to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Through 2012 cancer was diagnosed in 18,687 persons including 1,522 Asians. Compared to Whites, the HR (CIs) for any cancer in Asians was 0.8 (0.7–0.9, p < 0.001). Lower Asian risk was stronger for men (HR = 0.7, p < 0.001) than for women (HR = 0.9, p = 0.003). Lower Asian vs. White risks with p < 0.05 were found for cancers of the upper airway digestive area, hematologic malignancies, melanoma, and cancers of the prostate, bladder, and brain. Melanoma contributed substantially to lower Asian risk, especially in women. HRs for specific Asian groups versus Whites follow: Chinese = 0.9 (p < 0.001), Japanese = 0.9 (p = 0.01), Filipinos = 0.8 (p < 0.001), South Asians = 0.5 (p < 0.001), and Other Asians = 0.7 (p = 0.006). Both South Asian men and women had lower risk than Whites, and South Asians had lower risk than any other racial/ethnic group.

Conclusions

Asians had lower cancer risk than Whites, due to lower risk of several cancer types. Each Asian ethnic group had lower risk than Whites with South Asians at the lowest risk.

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