Cancer screening rate among Asian Americans low

Asian Americans should look for warning signs of cancer and get screened early, as it is the leading cause of death in the community, the US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The three most prevalent cancer deaths among Asian men in the United States are lung, liver and colorectal cancers. Among Asian American women, they are lung, colorectal and breast cancers, the University of Michigan's Rogel Cancer Center said.

"Asian Americans are the only racial and ethnic group in the US for whom cancer is the leading cause of death in men and women," said a study titled "Disparities in cancer care and the Asian American population" published in The Oncologist journal in 2021.

As the fastest growing ethnic group in the US, the group makes up 7.2 percent, or 24 million, of the population, the US Census Bureau said.

"Despite the clear mortality risk, Asian Americans are screened for cancers at lower rates than the majority of Americans," the study in The Oncologist said.

It found there was a 75 percent screening rate for cervical cancer among Asians compared with 83 percent for white people. For breast cancer, the screening rate was 64 percent among Asians and 72 percent among their white counterparts.

Screening rates among Asians for colorectal cancer were also lower than any other racial group, with 49 percent getting assessed, a 2021 CDC study found.

Research suggests that screening levels could be low because of language barriers and cultural concerns over mainstream healthcare practices.

Jun Mao, chief of integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, said those who have been diagnosed with cancer can benefit from a variety of treatments, including both Western medication and Eastern practices such as acupuncture.

"Western medication focuses on very specific effects of what that drug can deliver," Mao said. "But Eastern medicine, especially in the context of cancer treatment and survivorship, tends to provide more of a benefit. The treatments are more holistic, really acknowledging the mind and body and the relationship and interaction."

To improve diagnosis and early treatment for cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that people at risk aged 45 and above be screened or get a colonoscopy to detect colon cancer.

Women from the age of 40 should get an annual mammogram or clinical breast exam for breast cancer. Those aged 55 to 75 are advised to get screened for lung cancer.

"Regular screening gives you the best chance of finding cancer early when it's small and before it has spread," the ACS said.