Assessing the oral cancer risk of South-Asian immigrants in New York City

Increasing immigration from South Asia, where oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in adults, suggests that this disease will probably pose a serious public health problem in the United States. According to the 2000 Census, there are approximately 1.9 million South Asians in the U.S., and their access to dental care is limited. The morbidity and mortality associated with oral cancer can be reduced by primary prevention and early detection. South Asians are not a homogenous group, and areca, and important risk factor for oral cancer, has religious and cultural significance in some South Asian communities. In order to develop culturally relevant preventive and educational interventions, it is important to assess risk behaviors according to ethnic and religious subgroup identity. In this report, the author provides an overview of oral cancer risk factors among South-Asian immigrants in the U.S., and describes a recently funded pilot study designed to assess oral cancer risk behaviors in South Asian seniors. The data collected will be used to develop risk profiles of South Asian religious and ethnic sub-groups. It is hoped that medical and dental providers will be able to use the risk profiles to target early-detection and risk-reduction services in this population.