Cancer disparities in indigenous Polynesian populations: Māori, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific people.
Polynesia consists of several islands that are scattered across a vast triangle in the Pacific, and include New Zealand, Hawaii, and the Pacific islands. There are reported differences in the types of cancer and epidemiologies seen among communities in these islands, the reasons for which are diverse and complex. In this Review, we describe patterns of cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in indigenous populations compared with populations of European origin in Polynesia, and highlight the limited available data for Pacific populations. Additionally, we document the current knowledge of the underlying biology of cancers in these populations, and report risk factors that differ between ethnicities, including smoking, viral infections, and obesity. Disparities in measures of health are highlighted, as are evident differences in knowledge of tumour biology and cancer management between majority and minority populations.
Dachs
Gabi U
GU
Angiogenesis Research Group, Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Currie
Margaret J
MJ
McKenzie
Fiona
F
Jeffreys
Mona
M
Cox
Brian
B
Foliaki
Sunia
S
Le Marchand
Loïc
L
Robinson
Bridget A
BA
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006254:Hawaii / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D015994:Incidence; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008019:Life Style; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011114:Polynesia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D018947:Samoa / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D014058:Tonga / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000095284:Maori People; D000095188:Pacific Island People
D006728:Hormones; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins