Cancer mortality of Chinese in New York City 1988-1992.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
BACKGROUND: This study examines cancer mortality among Chinese migrants in New York City, and compares it with that of residents of China as well as New York City whites. METHOD: Mortality records for 1988-1992 from the New York City Department of Health, and the 1990 US census data for New York City were used for the analysis. Age-specific deaths and the population of urban China reported by the World Health Organization were also used for comparison. Age-adjusted death rates by gender for Chinese and whites in New York City, as well as for Chinese in China were computed using the world standard population. RESULTS: New York Chinese had lower mortality rates for all causes, total cancer, oesophageal and lung cancer deaths than did either New York whites or Chinese in China in both genders. However, they had lower death rates than New York whites, but similar to those in China, for colon cancer in both genders, and breast cancer in females. By contrast, New York Chinese had higher death rates for nasopharyngeal cancer than either New York City whites or Chinese in China. Stomach and liver cancer death rates in New York Chinese fell between those in China and New York City whites. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer mortality rates among Chinese migrants in New York City being the lowest for total cancer and some types of cancers, did not follow the usual pattern of migrants (an intermediate position between rates of native New Yorkers and Chinese in homeland China). However, substantial variations in certain cancer-specific mortality by geography were observed.
