HEALTH EQUITY AROUND

STOMACH CANCER

SUZANNE PAK

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

KOREAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (KWA)

SPECIFIC AIM

Jung et al. Cancer Res Treat 2013

Improve Early Detection of Stomach

Cancer Among Asian Pacific

Americans

Research Supporting Health Disparity: Asian and Pacific Americans are more than

2 times as likely to get stomach cancer

(compared to white counterparts)

Korean Americans, in particular, are more

than 8 times as likely to get stomach cancer

Stomach cancer patients in U.S. only have

5 year survival rate of 26.9% (compared to

67% survival rate in S. Korea), due to late

detection

METHODS

Advisory CommitteePreliminary Research

Stomach Cancer Conference

& Survey

Community Education &

Advocacy

20 diverse

members Doctors

Researcher

behavioral

health

agencies

government

agencies

patient

advocates

Primary (interviews) Asian American patients

and physicians are

concerned about stomach

cancer

Secondary ACS: cancer incidence and

mortality by site, ethnicity,

and stage of detection

S. Korean research on

impact of mass screening

on survival rate

Early Detection: Provider & Patient

Education

Advocacy: Screening Guidelines

Prevention: Food and

Substances,

Symptoms

120 participants 55% Asian Pacific

Americans, 30%

Caucasian

Americans, 10%

Hispanic

Americans, 5%

African Americans

110 pre-surveys

81 post-surveys

RESULT Participants 2.5 times more likely to take action

after intervention

Even When Upper Endoscopy Is Approved by Health Insurance, It

Would Be as a Diagnostic Procedure, Subject to Copays and

Deductibles.

Makes Patient Education Around Early Detection More Complex

(Can’t Simply Say “Get Screened” After Certain Age)

Next Steps: Focus Patient Education on Prevention, Integrate

Early Detection Efforts with Colorectal Cancer Screening

RESULT Key Barrier: Upper Endoscopy is Not Covered

as a Preventative Screening Procedure – Even for Racial

or Ethnic Groups Who Are at High Risk

RESULT Prevention Education Following Conference &

Survey (Salt, Vitamin B, Alcohol & Tobacco Use)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Early Detection of Stomach Cancer Colorectal Cancer Screening

Prevention of Stomach Cancer (Substance Use & Nutrition)