Cancer Control in Immigrant Asian Populations

Immigrant Asians are under-utillizers of cancer prevention methods and services compared to the US Caucasian population. I collaborate on three National Cancer Institute-funded projects led by Vicky Taylor, M.D., of the Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, that are designed to 1) assess  the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of Asian immigrants toward cancer prevention activities; and 2) use this information to design and test the efficacy of methods to increase the use of cancer screening activities.

In our first study, we surveyed immigrant Cambodian women from the Seattle area regarding their cervical cancer screening knowledge, beliefs, and practices. We then initiated a randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of a culturally-appropriate neighborhood-based intervention designed to improve the use of cervical cancer screening by women in this population We recently completed the intervention phase, and are analyzing outcomes in relation to the "treatment" assignments.

Our second study is similar to the first, but is implemented within the Chinese female immigrant community and is conducted not only in Seattle but also Vancouver, British Columbia. The survey phase of that study has been completed and the intervention is currently underway.

The third study, consisting of surveys of immigrant Vietnamese men and women regarding cervical cancer and Hepatitis B screening knowledge and behaviors,  was recently funded (April 2000). It does not include an intervention component at the present time.

Related Publications

Taylor VM, Hislop TG, Jackson JC, Tu S-P, Yasui Y, Schwartz SM, Teh C, Kuniyuki A, Acorda E, Marchand A, Thompson B. A randomized controlled trial of interventions to promote cervical cancer screening among Chinese women. JNCI 2002;94 670-677.

Tu S-P, Yasui Y, Kuniyuki A, Schwartz SM, Jackson JC, Taylor VM. Breast cancer screening: stages of adoption among Cambodian-American women. Cancer Detect Prev 2002;26:33-41.

Taylor VM, Jackson JC, Tu S-P, Yasui Y, Schwartz SM, Kuniyuki A, Acorda E, Lin K, Hislop G. Cervical cancer screening among Chinese American women. Cancer Detect Prev 2002 26:139-145.

Tu S, Yasui Y, Kuniyuki A, Thompson B, Schwartz SM, Jackson JC, Taylor VM. Breast cancer screening among Cambodian-American women. Cancer Detect Prev 2000;24(6):549-63.

Taylor VM, Jackson JC, Yasui Y, Schwartz SM, Kuniyuki A, Fischer M, Tu S-P. Pap testing stages of adoption among Cambodian immigrants. Asian Am Pac Isl J Health 2000;8:59-69.

Taylor VM, Schwartz SM, Jackson JC, Kuniyuki A, Fischer M, Yasui Y, Tu S-P, Thompson B. Cervical cancer screening among Cambodian American women. Cancer Epidemiol Biom Prev 1999; 8:541-546.

Taylor VM, Jackson JC, Schwartz SM, Yasui Y, Tu S-P, Thompson B. Cervical cancer control in a Cambodian American population. Asian Am Pacific Isl J Health 1998; 6:368-377.

Taylor VM, Jackson JC, Schwartz SM, Tu S-P, Thompson B. Cervical cancer among Asian American women: a neglected public health problem? Asian Am Pacific Isl J Health 1996; 4:328-342.