Colon Cancer Rates Among Asian Americans: A 2017–2021 Epidemiological Analysis

Colon cancer (CC) is a significant public health concern. With Asian Americans (AA) representing a rapidly growing demographic in the United States, our study examined CC prevalence among AA. The study merged 2017-2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and County Health Ranking. Our analysis calculated age-adjusted CC rates and examined prevalence across states. Regression analyses were conducted to study county-level risk factors of CC. The CC age-adjusted rate among AA increased five-fold, from 155 per 100,000 in 2017 to 753 per 100,000 in 2021. State-level disparities revealed the highest CC prevalence in Arkansas, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Not speaking other languages and having insurance were significantly associated with higher CC rates, suggesting barriers to preventions and higher use of screening (p<0.05). County-level analysis identified lower CC prevalence in regions with greater socioeconomic advantage (p<0.05). Socioeconomic advantage seemed to facilitate higher screening rates, translated into higher CC rates. Our findings underscore the need for early preventions to address rising CC rates among AA. Future research should also explore geographic to better understand the disparities in CC risk.