Cancer Control
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 78-85

Cancer incidence among Korean-American immigrants in the United States and native Koreans in South Korea (Article)

Lee J. , Demissie K.* , Lu S.-E. , Rhoads G.G.
  • a Department of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States
  • b Department of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States, Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States, Department of Epidemiology, UMDNJ, School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
  • c Department of Biostatistics, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States
  • d Department of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States, Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, United States, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

Abstract

Background: While previous studies demonstrated contrasting patterns of cancer risk among migrant populations from different ethnic groups in the United States, few studies have focused on the Korean-American population. This study compares cancer incidence rates between Korean-Americans, whites, and blacks in the United States and native Koreans. Methods: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program and International Association for Research on Cancer were used to calculate age-standardized incidence rates among whites, blacks, and Korean Americans in the United States and native Koreans. Results: The risk of stomach, liver, gallbladder, larynx, and esophageal cancer has sharply declined in Korean-American men compared with their native counterparts while prostate, colon, and rectum cancer risk has increased. In women, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and cervical cancers have declined, and breast, lung, colon, rectum, and endometrial cancers have increased. Cancer rates for stomach, liver, gallbladder, and esophagus are higher in native Koreans compared to US whites. Recently, cancer rates for Korean-American immigrants have increased for prostate, breast, colon, and rectal cancers. Conclusions: The study provides evidence that the risk of cancers common in Western countries is higher for Korean Americans than for their native counterparts. Recent trends among Korean Americans also revealed a stronger Western profile.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

South Korea breast cancer lung cancer prostate cancer human controlled study cancer risk rectum cancer cancer epidemiology United States gallbladder cancer larynx cancer endometrium cancer Article esophagus cancer liver cancer major clinical study ethnicity colon cancer cancer incidence stomach cancer health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33846602824&doi=10.1177%2f107327480701400111&partnerID=40&md5=2a0d502148d48e37c01bd989110f3ee4
DOI: 10.1177/107327480701400111
ISSN: 10732748
Cited by: 150
Original Language: English