European Journal of Cancer Prevention
Volume 7, Issue 2, 1998, Pages 117-125

Cancer risk among Scandinavian immigrants in the US and Scandinavian residents compared with US whites, 1973-89 (Article)

Moradi T.* , Delfino R.J. , Bergström S.R. , Yu E.S.H. , Adami H.-O. , Yuen J.
  • a Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institution, Box 287, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden, Div. of Epidemiol. and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, United States
  • b Epidemiology Division, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 92717, United States
  • c Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institution, Box 287, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Statistics, Uppsala University, 5-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
  • d Div. of Epidemiol. and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, United States
  • e Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institution, Box 287, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
  • f Department of Surgery, Uppsala University, Academic Hospital, S 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden

Abstract

Studies of migrants can generate hypotheses on the aetiology of cancer. Such studies are most informative when cancer incidence data are available both in the source and host country. We compared the incidence rate ratio of cancers (stomach, lung, female breast, colorectal and prostate) in Scandinavian immigrants to the US to US-born whites, using data from the SEER registry, 1973-89. Odds ratios (OR) for cancer sites in relation to birthplace were estimated using logistic regression. We also compared rate ratios (RR) for Scandinavian and US residents, using Poison regression. Compared with US whites, most Scandinavian migrant groups had elevated OR for stomach cancer (1.58 to 3.92), and lower OR for lung cancer (0.38 to 0.88). Similarly, compared with US whites, residents of most Scandinavian countries had elevated RR for stomach cancer (1.47 to 3.33) and lower RR for lung cancer (0.27 to 0.97). Therefore, risk factors for lung and stomach cancers, such as smoking habits and Helicobacter pylori infection, respectively, may have been retained upon migration. Risks for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer among immigrants approached risks in the US (contrasting Scandinavian risks) suggesting assimilation of environmental and/or lifestyle factors.

Author Keywords

Cancer registry United States immigrants Scandinavian

Index Keywords

immigrant lifestyle breast cancer Life Style regression analysis prostate cancer Neoplasms human middle aged colorectal cancer priority journal cancer risk Aged Scandinavia hypothesis United States Humans Adolescent Infant, Newborn male female Infant risk factor Risk Factors Child, Preschool Incidence Article adult European Continental Ancestry Group data analysis Emigration and Immigration SEER Program smoking habit cancer incidence stomach cancer Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0031956611&partnerID=40&md5=23578fea34c4a318e77b71550cbbe811
ISSN: 09598278
Cited by: 29
Original Language: English