California Group Receives Grant to Study Cancer Incidence in Vietnamese-American Women

The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, a California group that has studied the incidence of cervical cancer in Vietnamese-American women, has obtained a $4 million grant from the CDC and the California Endowment to study obstacles preventing this group of women from getting tested, the Orange County Register reports. National studies have shown that Vietnamese-American women are five times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to get cervical cancer. A recent Orange County, Calif., study conducted by OCAPICA, however, focused on why Vietnamese-American women are not getting tested in time to detect the disease. The survey results, presented at a Dec. 20 luncheon, found that lack of knowledge, lack of time and cultural stigmas all keep Vietnamese-American women from getting Pap smears. While 83% of the 30 women in the study had received a Pap smear, the test was a part of prenatal care, not cancer prevention. OCAPICA will use the four-year, $4 million grant to further examine why Vietnamese-American women have a higher incidence of cancer and what obstacles prevent them from being tested. The grant funds will be used to establish community advisory committees, translate informational pamphlets and raise awareness