Liver Cancer Among Asian Americans

Abstract

Asian Americans represent a highly heterogeneous racial group in the USA, defined by the US Census as persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent. Currently accounting for 5.6 % of the US population, over two-thirds of the Asian American population is foreign born, and it has been the fastest-growing racial group with an average growth rate of 45.6 % between 2000 and 2010. The five largest Asian American subpopulations are those of Chinese (28 %), Filipino (19.7 %), Indian (18.3 %), Vietnamese (10 %), and Korean (9.8 %) origin. Just under half of the Asian American population resides in the Western USA, followed by 21 % in the South, 20 % in the Northeast, and 11 % in the Midwest. Primary liver cancer, which includes hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, is among the three cancers with rising incidence and is the fastest-growing cause of cancer-related death in the USA. Asian Americans represent one of the highest-risk groups for both incidence and mortality due to primary liver cancer in the USA. This chapter provides an overview of the epidemiology, clinical outcomes, and avenues for further research on primary liver cancer among Asian Americans.