Summary
The Chinese in California have an incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer roughly of the order of magnitude of the very high rate in Southeast Asia. Filipino migrants to California have a nasopharyngeal cancer risk intermediate to the high risk for Chinese and the low risk for Caucasians. A study of nasopharyngeal cancer mortality over the period 1958 to 1972 shows a gradient of lower risk of the disease in the second and third generation of Chinese in California. While a genetic explanation of the racial susceptibility cannot entirely be ruled out, it can be said that the Chinese are at a very high risk of the disease, partly because of unusual exposure to an environmental agent.
- ©1974 American Association for Cancer Research.