Asian Americans generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population. However, disparities still exist in certain types of cancer.
- From 2017–2021,1
- Asian/Pacific Islander males were 60% more likely to have new cases of liver and intrahepatic bile duct (IBD) and stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white males.
- Asian/Pacific Islander females were 50% more likely to have new cases of liver and IBD cancer and nearly twice as likely to have new cases of stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white females.
- From 2018–2022,1
- Asian/Pacific Islander males were 1.4 times and 1.9 times, respectively, more likely to die from liver and IBD cancer and stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white males.
- Asian/Pacific Islander females were 1.3 times and 2.4 times, respectively, more likely to die from liver and IBD cancer and stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white females.
- In 2021, non-Hispanic Asian American adults ages 50–75 were 20% less likely to have ever received any type of colorectal cancer screening than non-Hispanic white adults.2
Diagnosis
| Cancer among adults age 18 and over, age-adjusted percentage, 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Asian only | Non-Hispanic White | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 3.5 | 13.0 | 0.3 |
| Breast | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.7 |
| Cervical (women) | 0.1 | 1.2 | 0.1 |
| Prostate (men) | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 |
| Any skin | 0.0 | 5.3 | -- |
Top Cancer Sites for Asian Americans (2017-2021)
| Cancer Incidence among males, rate per 100,000 population, 2017–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 299.8 | 510.7 | 0.6 |
| Colon & Rectum | 34.5 | 42.0 | 0.8 |
| Esophagus | 3.6 | 8.3 | 0.4 |
| Kidney | 11.3 | 22.9 | 0.5 |
| Liver & IBD | 17.4 | 11.2 | 1.6 |
| Lung | 41.4 | 60.0 | 0.7 |
| Oral Cavity & Pharynx | 12.0 | 20.1 | 0.6 |
| Pancreas | 10.9 | 16.0 | 0.7 |
| Prostate | 61.4 | 114.9 | 0.5 |
| Stomach | 12.1 | 7.5 | 1.6 |
Top Cancer Sites for Asian Americans (2017–2021)
| Cancer incidence among females, rate per 100,000 population, 2017–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 313.2 | 447.0 | 0.7 |
| Breast | 110.3 | 139.0 | 0.8 |
| Cervical | 6.1 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
| Colon & Rectum | 25.3 | 32.4 | 0.8 |
| Kidney | 5.2 | 11.1 | 0.5 |
| Liver & IBD | 6.4 | 4.3 | 1.5 |
| Lung | 27.8 | 52.2 | 0.5 |
| Pancreas | 9.4 | 11.9 | 0.8 |
| Stomach | 6.9 | 3.7 | 1.9 |
| Uterus | 23.4 | 27.7 | 0.8 |
5-Year Survival Rate
| 5-year survival rate among males by cancer site, percentage, 2014–2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 61.6 | 68.7 | 0.9 |
| Colon & Rectum | 67.1 | 65.2 | 1.0 |
| Kidney | 79.6 | 79.0 | 1.0 |
| Liver & IBD | 31.0 | 20.5 | 1.5 |
| Lung | 27.8 | 22.6 | 1.2 |
| Pancreas | 14.8 | 12.8 | 1.2 |
| Prostate | 93.7 | 98.0 | 1.0 |
| Stomach | 42.1 | 32.6 | 1.3 |
| 5-year survival rate among females, percentage, 2014–2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 72.8 | 71.3 | 1.0 |
| Breast | 92.0 | 93.0 | 1.0 |
| Cervical | 70.6 | 67.8 | 1.0 |
| Colon & Rectum | 67.4 | 66.1 | 1.0 |
| Kidney | 80.4 | 80.9 | 1.0 |
| Liver & IBD | 29.0 | 21.1 | 1.4 |
| Lung | 38.4 | 30.8 | 1.2 |
| Pancreas | 14.8 | 12.3 | 1.2 |
| Stomach | 39.7 | 44.1 | 0.9 |
| Uterus | 82.3 | 84.2 | 1.0 |
Death Rate
| 5-year mortality among males, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Males | Non-Hispanic White Males | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 107.5 | 179.0 | 0.6 |
| Colon & Rectum | 10.9 | 15.2 | 0.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 11.8 | 8.4 | 1.4 |
| Lung | 23.7 | 41.2 | 0.6 |
| Pancreas | 8.4 | 13.2 | 0.6 |
| Prostate | 8.8 | 18.1 | 0.5 |
| Stomach | 5.4 | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| 5-year mortality among females, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2018–2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander Females | Non-Hispanic White Females | Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 82.6 | 131.0 | 0.6 |
| Breast | 11.9 | 19.4 | 0.6 |
| Cervical | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| Colon & Rectum | 7.7 | 10.9 | 0.7 |
| Liver & IBD | 5.1 | 3.8 | 1.3 |
| Pancreas | 7.2 | 9.8 | 0.7 |
| Stomach | 3.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Uterus | 3.7 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
Screening
Breast Cancer
| Women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, percentage, 2019 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Asian Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Non-Hispanic Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 64.0 | 69.4 | 0.9 |
Cervical Cancer
| Women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, percentage, 2018 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Asian only Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 62.8 | 63.7 | 1.0 |
Colorectal Cancer
| Adults ages 50–75 who received any type of colorectal cancer screening, percentage, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Asian | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Asian / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 60.7 | 74.2 | 0.8 |
1 SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2024 Apr 17. (back)
2 AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Data Query. (back)