A new report from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) shows progress in reducing some cancer disparities affecting Asian Americans, while also highlighting several troubling trends that researchers say warrant closer attention.
One encouraging sign is the decline in stomach cancer mortality disparities. According to the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026 released on Wednesday, the gap between Asian or Pacific Islander populations and White Americans narrowed significantly, with stomach cancer mortality falling from 150% higher among Asian or Pacific Islander populations in 2000 to 81% higher in 2024.
Despite that progress, Asian Americans continue to face disproportionately high rates of stomach, liver and gallbladder cancers. Researchers say infections such as Helicobacter pylori, a major cause of stomach cancer, and hepatitis B virus, which is linked to liver cancer, contribute to the higher burden of disease.
The report also points to an emerging concern—rising lung cancer rates among Asian women who have never smoked. Studies cited in the report found that lung cancer incidence among some groups of Asian American women who never smoked was roughly twice that of White women who never smoked, with Chinese American and Filipino American women experiencing the highest rates. Researchers say factors such as secondhand smoke, air pollution and other environmental exposures may play a role, but the reasons for the disparity remain unclear.
Another trend researchers are monitoring is breast cancer. While Asian American women continue to have lower breast cancer rates than White women, incidence is rising faster among Asian women. From 2012 to 2021, breast cancer incidence increased 2.6% annually among Asian or Pacific Islander women, compared with 1% annually among White women.
The report also highlights the diversity within Asian American communities and warns against treating them as a single population. While Asian Americans overall have among the nation’s lowest cancer incidence and mortality rates, studies found substantial differences among ethnic groups. For example, liver cancer rates were significantly higher among Cambodian, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese Americans than among White Americans.
“Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death and a major driver of health care costs in the U.S. Decades of research have significantly increased our understanding of the causes of cancer, how to detect it early, and how to treat it more effectively. Unfortunately, these advances have not reached all populations equally,” said Mariana C. Stern, chair of the report’s steering committee.
The report calls for continued investment in cancer disparities research and more efforts to collect detailed data on Asian American subgroups so researchers can better understand and address differences in cancer risk and outcomes.
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