Campaign Seeks to Boost Awareness Among Chinese Americans

The American Cancer Society has launched the first multilingual colorectal cancer awareness campaign to educate the vast population of Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The campaign, which coincides with National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, includes public service announcements and a series of educational forums throughout the Bay Area in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Chinese-American men are seven times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than their counterparts in the People's Republic of China, and Chinese-American women are two times more likely to develop the disease than their counterparts, according to the American Cancer Society. This is in part due to the dietary differences between the two countries.

In a study comparing specific geographic areas, San Francisco was found to have the highest incidence rate of rectal cancer among Asian and Pacific Islander populations, and the second highest rate of colon cancer.

"Like many medically underserved communities, disease prevention information is often more difficult to obtain in the Chinese community due to language and cultural barriers, and socioeconomic and healthcare access issues," said Dr. Edward Cheung, American Cancer Society volunteer.

"This will ensure that life-saving messages about colorectal cancer reach every man and woman in our community, not just those who speak English."

The program complements the American Cancer Society's national campaign, "Things to do now that I'm 50," which emphasizes the importance of regular colon cancer screenings beginning at age 50.

Other sources: Amerian Cancer Society