National data is limited for this population. Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanic white population. However, disparities still exist in certain types of cancer.
In 2014:1
- Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders overall were 40% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than non-Hispanic whites. American Samoans were nearly four times more likely.
- Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders overall were 60% more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than non-Hispanic whites. Guamanians/Chamorros were nearly four times more likely.
From 1998–2002:2
- American Samoan females were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer than non-Hispanic white females.
- American Samoan males were eight times more likely and Native Hawaiian males 2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer than non-Hispanic white males.
- American Samoan males were more than five times more likely to be diagnosed with and more than seven times more likely to die from stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white males.
- Native Hawaiian females were more than twice as likely to die from cervical or liver cancer and more than three times as likely to die from stomach cancer than non-Hispanic white females.
Diagnosis
| Cancer among adults age 18 and over, age-adjusted percentage, 2019–2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| All Sites | 6.9 | 12.7 | 0.5 |
| Breast | -- | 2.1 | -- |
| Cervical (women) | -- | 1.3 | -- |
| Prostate (men) | 0.5 | 3.0 | 0.2 |
| Any skin | 0.8 | 4.9 | 0.2 |
| Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed cancer (any) by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NHPI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 8.6 | 1.4 | -- |
| All NHPI | 6.1 | -- | 0.7 |
| Native Hawaiian | 7.6 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Pacific Islander | 4.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Samoan | 8.5 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 4.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Other Pacific Islander | -- | -- | -- |
| Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed breast cancer by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NHPI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 1.3 | 0.7 | -- |
| All NHPI | 1.8 | -- | 1.4 |
| Native Hawaiian | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Pacific Islander | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.2 |
| Samoan | 5.0 | 2.8 | 3.8 |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | -- | -- | -- |
| Other Pacific Islander | -- | -- | -- |
| Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed cervical cancer, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / White Ratio |
| 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed prostate cancer, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | White | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / White Ratio |
| 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Adults age 18 and over with diagnosed colorectal cancer by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Population / All NHPI Ratio | Population / White Ratio | |
| White | 0.5 | 0.6 | -- |
| All NHPI | 0.8 | -- | 1.6 |
| Native Hawaiian | -- | -- | -- |
| Pacific Islander | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Samoan | -- | -- | -- |
| Guamanian or Chamorro | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.8 |
| Other Pacific Islander | -- | -- | -- |
Cancer Incidence Rates for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (1998–2002)
| Cancer incidence among males, rate per 100,000 population, 1998–2002 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Ratio | ||||||
| Cancer | Native Hawaiian | Samoan | Tongan | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian / White Ratio | Samoan / White Ratio | Tongan / White Ratio |
| All Sites | 531.6 | 566.7 | 428.8 | 587.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Colorectal | 65.7 | 43.1 | -- | 65.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | -- |
| Liver & IBD | 16.3 | 54.5 | -- | 6.7 | 2.4 | 8.1 | -- |
| Lung | 109.8 | 111.9 | 107.0 | 89.2 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Prostate | 119.7 | 144.1 | 85.0 | 170.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Stomach | 18.8 | 53.0 | -- | 9.9 | 1.9 | 5.4 | -- |
| Cancer incidence among females, rate per 100,000 population, 1998–2002 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Ratio | ||||||
| Cancer | Native Hawaiian | Samoan | Tongan | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian / White Ratio | Samoan / White Ratio | Tongan / White Ratio |
| All Sites | 488.5 | 472.0 | 504.7 | 448.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Breast | 175.8 | 102.5 | 118.0 | 145.2 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Cervical | 12.3 | 18.1 | -- | 8.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | -- |
| Colorectal | 44.0 | 38.6 | -- | 47.6 | 0.9 | 0.8 | -- |
| Lung | 69.7 | 56.9 | -- | 59.0 | 1.2 | 1.0 | -- |
| Stomach | 14.5 | -- | -- | 4.3 | 3.4 | -- | -- |
5-Year Survival Rate
No national data available at this time.
Death Rate
| Cancer death rates among males, rate per 100,000 population, 1998–2002 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Ratio | ||||||
| Cancer | Native Hawaiian | Samoan | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian / White Ratio | Samoan / White Ratio | ||
| All Sites | 263.7 | 293.9 | 241.3 | 1.1 | 1.2 | ||
| Liver & IBD | 11.8 | 32.9 | 6.1 | 1.9 | 5.4 | ||
| Lung | 87.7 | 74.0 | 72.2 | 1.2 | 1.0 | ||
| Stomach | 14.1 | 40.9 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 7.1 | ||
| Cancer death rates among females, rate per 100,000 population, 1998–2002 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Ratio | ||||||
| Cancer | Native Hawaiian | Samoan | Non-Hispanic White | Native Hawaiian / White Ratio | Samoan / White Ratio | ||
| All Sites | 198.9 | 209.3 | 171.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | ||
| Breast | 33.5 | 36.2 | 27.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | ||
| Cervical | 5.2 | -- | 2.4 | 2.2 | -- | ||
| Liver & IBD | 6.4 | -- | 2.7 | 2.4 | -- | ||
| Stomach | 10.3 | -- | 2.8 | 3.7 | -- | ||
Screening
Breast Cancer
| Women age 40 and over who had a mammogram within the past 2 years, percentage, 2019 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 69.4 | -- |
Cervical Cancer
| Women age 18 and over who had a Pap smear within the past 3 years, percentage, 2018 (crude) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 63.7 | -- |
Colorectal Cancer
| Adults ages 50–75 who received any type of colorectal cancer screening, percentage, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Women | Non-Hispanic White Women | Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| -- | 74.2 | -- |
1 CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 8. (Back to top)
2 National Cancer Institute, 2008. Cancer Incidence and Mortality Patterns among Specific Asian and Pacific Islander Populations in the U.S. (Back to top)