Incidence of lymphoid neoplasms by subtype among six Asian ethnic groups in the United States, 1996–2004

Abstract

Objectives-To establish baseline data for lymphoid neoplasm incidence by subtype for six AsianAmerican ethnic groups.Methods-Incident rates were estimated by age and sex for six Asian ethnic groups-Asian Indian/ Pakistani, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese-in five United States cancer registry areas during 1996-2004. For comparison, rates for non-Hispanic Whites were also estimated. [1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004], Filipinos had the highest (24.0) and Koreans had the lowest incidence (12.7) of total lymphoid neoplasms. By subtype, Vietnamese and Filipinos had the highest incidence for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (8.0 and 7.2); Japanese had the highest incidence of follicular lymphoma (2.3). Although a general male predominance of lymphoid neoplasms was observed, this pattern varied by lymphoid neoplasm subtype. Whites generally had higher rates than all Asian ethnic groups for all lymphoid neoplasms and most lymphoma subtypes, although the magnitude of the difference varied by both ethnicity and lymphoma subtype. Results-DuringConclusions-The observed variations in incidence patterns among Asian ethnic groups in the United States suggest that it may be fruitful to pursue studies that compare Asian populations for postulated environmental and genetic risk factors.

Cervical cancer incidence among 6 Asian ethnic groups in the United States, 1996 through 2004

“…As described previously, 6 we believe our case data are an accurate reflection of Asian incidence rates in the United States outside of our selected 5 SEER cancer registries, as they together account for 58% of the total Asian population in SEER registry areas and 31% of the total Asian population in the United States. 20 Importantly, our use of the average population (between single and multiple races) enabled use of all available data, although results were similar in analyses restricted to single or multiple ethnic groups.…”

“…In the US National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, the Asian or Pacific Islander category comprises at least 12 different ethnic categories, each of which have distinct patterns of cancer incidence. 4–6 Evaluating this group in aggregate therefore masks variations in rates that may be related to known and unknown cultural, behavioral, and socioeconomic differences.…”

Lymphoid Malignancies in U.S. Asians: Incidence Rate Differences by Birthplace and Acculturation

“…Our recent analysis based on SEER data documented lower incidence of lymphoid malignancies among six Asian ethnic groups compared with whites(2), but lacked the data to consider differences by birthplace. In SEER data, an assessment of NHL cases diagnosed in the period 1973–86 and classified according to the Working Formulation scheme also found reduced risk of FL in foreign-born compared with US-born Chinese and Japanese (but not Filipinos), with incidence rates 60–80% lower than rates in their US-born counterparts(22).…”

“…Despite this variation, United States (US) populations of Asian origin consistently have much lower incidence rates of lymphoid malignancies than populations of Caucasian or African origin (2). In our recent assessment of lymphoid malignancies in the US, overall incidence rates were substantially lower among Filipinos (67% of non-Hispanic white rate), South Asians (64%), Vietnamese (62%), Japanese (53%), Chinese (47%), and Koreans (33%) than among non-Hispanic whites (2). These striking differences may contain important clues as to genetic or environmental risk factors for these diseases, especially if incidence rates change with migration from low-risk (e.g., Asia) to higher-risk areas (e.g., US).…”

Hodgkin lymphoma incidence in ethnic enclaves in California

“…The numbers of HL cases were sparse in some strata. Small sample sizes mandated calculating rates for all APIs combined, limiting the precision of our findings across Asian ethnic groups [55]. The numerous associations tested may have yielded some statistically significant associations by chance.…”