Breast Cancer in Asian Americans in California, 1988–2013: Increasing Incidence Trends and Recent Data on Breast Cancer Subtypes (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment)

​Using data from the California Cancer Registry, authors examined incidence trends by age and stage among women from seven Asian American (AA) ethnic groups in California from 1988 to 2013, and incidence patterns by subtype and age at diagnosis for the years 2009 through 2013. Incidence rate ratios were used to compare rates for AA ethnic groups relative to non-Hispanic whites (NHW).

The study found all AA groups except Japanese experienced incidence increases, with the largest among Koreans in 1988–2006 and Southeast Asians in 1988–2013. Among women younger than age 50, large increases occurred for Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians; among women over age 50, increasing trends occurred in all AA ethnic groups. Rates increased for distant-stage disease among Filipinas. Compared to NHW, Filipinas and older Vietnamese had higher incidence rates of some HER2+ subtypes.   The study also cited the Center fact sheet Asians Below State Average for Timely Mammograms, that used 2011-2012 California Health Interview Survey data, and the American Journal of Public Health article Asian American Women in California: A Pooled Analysis of Predictors for Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening, that used CHIS data from 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009.

 

Publication Authors:

• Scarlett Lin Gomez
• et al