Stomach Cancer Advisory Councilmembers, left to right: Ryan Davis (Managed Care Manager, United Health Care), Dr. Joo Ha Hwang (Chief of Gastroenterology, Harborview Medical Center), Suzanne Pak (Director of Community & Behavioral Health, Korean Women’s Association), Peter Ansara (Executive Director, Korean Women’s Association), Eun Jeong Lee (Senior Employment Director, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging), Ken Taylor (CEO, Valley Cities), Abbie Zahler (International Community Health Services), and Dorothy Wong (Executive Director, Chinese Information Service Center)
Korean, Vietnamese, and Cambodian Americans face a hidden disparity often masked by the myth of the “model Asian” that is healthy, prosperous, and doesn’t need any assistance. They belong to the group of “Other Asian-Americans” that have been dying at an earlier age over two decades. They are less likely to access life-saving screening for high-risk cancers that that are pervasive in their ethnicity (such as colorectal cancer screening and early detection of stomach cancer). They are more likely to smoke tobacco, especially if they are limited English proficiency immigrants, and they are more likely to suffer from dependency on alcohol. The community is invited to the Stomach Cancer Conference on Friday, October 30, 2015, at the Federal Way Dumas Bay Centre. (end)