Oddly, one would expect ethnicity to play a minor role in the distribution of cancer, but it does! Interestingly, cancer is the leading cause of death for Asian Americans. Although it is true that compared to other ethnic groups, Asian Americans diagnosed and affected by cancer are statistically lower in numbers, as a leading cause of death for Asian-American, it should be urgently investigated.
Language and Cultural Barriers
The current medical system keeps to the “one size fit all” approach when they are faced with diversity . However, the challenges of cancer control defies this approach as we face cultural and lingual barriers. A study led by American Cancer Society has found a common pattern between language and mammograms. Koreans, Cambodians, Chinese, and Vietnamese with limited English proficiency have been reported to have fewer net screenings compared to other ethnic groups.