FRIDAY, Oct. 22, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Since 1988, the incidence of cancer among Asian Americans in California has declined 5.9 percent and cancer deaths have fallen 16.3 percent.
Both those declines are greater than those identified in any other major racial or ethnic group, according to research by the Cancer Surveillance Section of the California Department of Health Services.
But the rate of breast cancer among Asian American women in the state is growing faster than among any other group. Even so, Asian American women are still less likely than other women to develop breast cancer.
The research also found that Asian American women in California are more likely to die of cancer than of any other cause.
California has 3.7 million Asian residents, which represents 35 percent of the Asian population of the United States. This study looked at cancer incidence and deaths from 1988 through 2001.
"We're encouraged by these data, but we hope that this report will serve as a clarion to urge Asian American women, who are the least likely to seek cancer screening such as mammograms, to look out for their health," lead researcher Moon S. Chen, a professor of public health sciences at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.
The study was presented Oct. 22 at the Asian American Cancer Control Academy.
More information
The National Women's Health Information Center has more about Asian American women's health.
