Cancer Causes and Control
Volume 13, Issue 9, 2002, Pages 791-795

Incidence of leukemia in Asian migrants to the United States and their descendants (Article)

Pang J.W.Y.* , Cook L.S. , Schwartz S.M. , Weiss N.S.
  • a Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA, United States, Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
  • b Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada
  • c Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
  • d Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States

Abstract

Objective: To generate clues regarding the causes of leukemia we compared leukemia incidence rates among Asian-American immigrants and their descendants to those of United States-born whites. Methods: 535 Asian and 6629 white residents diagnosed with leukemia were identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program during 1973 through 1986 in Hawaii, San Francisco/Oakland, and western Washington. A special tabulation of the 1980 US census was used to estimate the size and composition of the population at risk in these three areas. Results: The incidence of leukemia, either considered as a whole or as individual types, did not appreciably vary between US-born and foreign-born Asian Americans. For all forms of leukemia combined the rates per 100,000 person-years among males were 6.5 for foreign-born Chinese, 7.4 for foreign-born Japanese, and 7.5 for foreign-born Filipino as compared to 7.5 for US-born Chinese, 7.1 for US-born Japanese, and 5.4 for US-born Filipino. The rates in foreign-born Asian females and US-born Asian females were also similar. Asian Americans had a lower incidence of leukemia than US whites (rate of 13.3/100,000 person-years), particularly for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Conclusions: Irrespective of birthplace, Asian Americans possess one or more characteristics which make their risk for leukemia less than that of US whites.

Author Keywords

Incidence Leukemia Asian American

Index Keywords

Asian Population Surveillance sex ratio human middle aged controlled study priority journal Aged cancer epidemiology United States population size Humans Asian Americans male female chronic lymphatic leukemia high risk population Incidence Article leukemia major clinical study adult migration cancer incidence
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0036843533&doi=10.1023%2fA%3a1020608328969&partnerID=40&md5=ffc7eef851f5f27d5819afdcbc2aa678
DOI: 10.1023/A:1020608328969
ISSN: 09575243
Cited by: 42
Original Language: English