The UC Davis Cancer Center is working to address the disproportionate burden of liver cancer on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through research funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Such research is expected to yield important findings to reduce the unnecessary death rates for liver cancer among all people of color.
UC Davis Cancer Center also houses the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART), which is dedicated to addressing the unique, unusual and unnecessary cancer burden among Asian Americans.
A recent report from the Journal of Clinical Oncology determined that by 2030, the number of new liver cancer cases among Asian and Pacific Islanders will increase by 134 percent compared to an increase of 28 percent among non-Hispanic whites. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders most commonly get liver cancer through hepatitis B, which in these populations is typically passed from mother to baby during the birthing process. Symptoms do not typically appear until the infection becomes liver cancer, over a period of decades. The risk of liver cancer for those with hepatitis B is 100 times greater than it is for the general population. By contrast, liver cancer risk factors for non-Hispanic whites are attributable to other factors such as hepatitis C infections.
World Hepatitis Day (May 19) and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May) provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the projected rise in liver cancer cases among Asians and Pacific Islanders and to highlight important information about the control of hepatitis B.
Chronic hepatitis B can result in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure and liver cancer. An estimated two million Americans are thought to be infected with hepatitis B. Liver cancer is a conspicuous cancer health disparity, being most common among Asian and Pacific Islanders and other people of color, and is least common among non-Hispanic whites.
About UC Davis Cancer Center:
Designated by the National Cancer Institute, UC Davis Cancer Center cares
for 9,000 adults and children each year from throughout the Central
Valley and inland Northern California. The center is dedicated to
reducing cancer health disparities, enriching the lives of patients and
their families, and supporting community members interested in learning
more about cancer risks, prevention, early detection and research. For
more information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/cancer.
About AANCART:
The Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training
(AANCART) is a cooperative agreement between the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) and the University of California, Davis. It is the
first-ever national cancer awareness research and training
infrastructure intended to address Asian American concerns. The overall
mission of the Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness, Research
and Training (AANCART) is to reduce cancer health disparities by
conducting community-based participatory education, training, and
research by, for, and with Asian Americans.