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Proportionate cancer incidence in the Laotian population of California, 1988–2006

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Abstract

When the Vietnam War ended in 1975, pro-US Laotians (including Lao, Mien, Khmu) were displaced and became refugees in their own native country. Thousands fled to refugee camps in nearby Thailand and were eventually relocated to several Western countries, including the US. A listing of 1,195 Laotian cancer cases were extracted from the California Cancer Registry for diagnosis years 1988–2006. Cancer cases with birthplace coded as “Laos” were included. Proportionate incidence ratios (PIRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for 17 selected cancer sites. The total population of California (all race/ethnic groups combined) was used as the reference. Proportional occurrence of cancers varied by genders and by cancer sites. Laotians in California experienced statistically significantly elevated risks for cancer of the nasopharynx (PIR = 14.8; 95% CI = 10.5–20.1), liver (PIR = 12.6; 95% CI = 10.8–14.6), stomach (PIR = 3.1; 95% CI = 2.4–4.0), cervix (PIR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.5–2.3), pancreas (PIR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.5–2.8), oral cavity (PIR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.4–2.3), lung and bronchus (PIR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.2–1.7). As found for other Asian subgroups, Laotians, too, have statistically significantly reduced risks for colorectal (PIR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.6–0.9), colon (PIR = 0.7; 95% CI 0.5–0.9), breast (PIR 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5–0.8), and prostate (PIR = 0.1; 95% CI = 0.0–0.2) cancers. The increased risk found for mostly non-Western types of cancers have implications for culturally responsive cancer control and intervention activities targeting the Laotian population.

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Acknowledgments

The collection of cancer incidence data used in this study was supported by the California Department of Public Health as part of the statewide cancer reporting program mandated by California Health and Safety Code Section 103885; the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program under contract N01-PC-35136 awarded to the Northern California Cancer Center, contract N01-PC-35139 awarded to the University of Southern California, and contract N01-PC-54404 awarded to the Public Health Institute; and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Program of Cancer Registries, under agreement 1U58DP00807-01 awarded to the Public Health Institute. Disclaimer: The ideas and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s), and endorsement by the State of California, Department of Public Health the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or their contractors and subcontractors is not intended nor should be inferred.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. California Cancer Registry, Public Health Institute, 1815 Bell Street, Sacramento, CA, 95825, USA

    Richard C. Yang

  2. Fresno Medical Education Program, University of San Francisco, 155 North Fresno Street, Fresno, CA, 93701-2302, USA

    Paul K. Mills

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  1. Richard C. Yang
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Correspondence to Richard C. Yang.

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Yang, R.C., Mills, P.K. Proportionate cancer incidence in the Laotian population of California, 1988–2006. Cancer Causes Control 20, 1011–1016 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9325-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-009-9325-z

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