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[ Music ]
KWON: Hello, I'm Dr. Harry Kwon
with the National
Cancer Institute.
Today I'm here
with Dr. Howard Koh,
the Assistant Secretary
for Health at the U.S.
Department of Health
and Human Services
who will discuss cancer health
disparities
in the Asian American community.
Dr. Koh, what is your most
memorable accomplishment
or success in addressing
health disparities?
KOH: Well I think unveiling this
federal action plan several
months ago was truly a highlight
for me personally
and this represents the greatest
federal commitment
to ending disparities ever.
And so to be part
of their effort
to lead the workgroup on behalf
of the department
and the secretary,
to unveil that in front
of people who really care
about this as a community
that cares about the health
of our country,
this is all very,
very exciting to me.
KWON: When it comes
to health disparities,
cancer is a significant problem.
What cancer disparities do Asian
Americans experience as a whole?
KOH: Well the challenges
of both cancer
and then cancer disparities are
big ones for Asian American
and Pacific
Islander populations.
First of all as opposed
to the rest of the country
where heart disease is the
leading cause of death,
for Asian Americans its cancer
so that alone deserves a lot
of attention.
And then we have issues
with respect to access
to prevention, access to care,
and quality of care, of course.
And with respect
to specific disparities,
there are a number
that deserve a lot of attention
from us as well.
Tobacco dependence; an addiction
for Asian American immigrant men
remains a major problem.
The tobacco industry has woven
their product
into the business culture
in Asia and so that's affecting
immigrant men in our society.
We're very concerned
about liver cancer in
Asian American and Pacific Islander
populations and that stems from high
rates of hepatitis B in particular.
We have a new federal plan
to coordinate activities
on hepatitis
so we're very excited
about that strategy
to make progress in that area
in the future.
We're concerned
about stomach cancer disparities
in Asian American populations,
particularly in Korean men.
We need more research
on that area and attention
to early detection
if at all possible.
And then cervical cancer is
another area
for Southeast Asian women
and that raises issues
about screening
and early detection.
So those are some
of the key issues that we need
to address.
I think again
because of the heterogeneity
of our population,
some of the cultural
and literacy challenges;
these all converge
to make early detection
prevention and quality treatment
a challenge for many of us.
So this is why a comprehensive
health and all policies approach
is so key.
I should stress
that the Affordable Care act,
which is now the law
of the land,
really is a transformative
opportunity for all Americans,
including Asian American
and Pacific Islander populations
and a lot of those outreach
resources are being translated
into Asian languages for 2011;
Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese,
and other Asian languages.
So we're really excited
about that commitment.
KWON: There's a new NCI tool
for assessing breast cancer risk
among Asian
and Pacific Islander women;
how do you see this new tool
saving the lives of more Asian
and Pacific Islander women
who might be at risk
for breast cancer?
KOH: Well there's a tragic myth
that Asian American women don't
get breast cancer
and nothing could be further
from the truth.
So we're very pleased
that this new tool has been
updated and includes risk
capability for Asian American
women and I think it will help
not only calculate risk,
but also serve as a gateway
for education
and prevention strategies.
So we're excited
about that advance.
KWON: How important is it
that we address cancer
disparities experienced
by the Asian American community
as part of this strategy?
KOH: Well in the ideal public health
world, we want every person
to reach their highest
attainable standard of health;
that's our goal
and it's a noble goal.
But too many people aren't
reaching that goal
and that includes Asian American
and Pacific Islander populations
and cancer is such a major issue
that its holding back so many
in our community
from reaching their full
potential for health.
So we want this new plan
to help improve awareness,
improve access to prevention,
screening, early detection,
improve quality of care,
and then help all people really
lead healthy lives.
KWON: What are some
of the ways
in which we could help educate
more members
of the Asian American community
about cancer,
especially given
cultural considerations?
KOH: Well first we have to recognize
that the Asian American
community is a very broad,
heterogeneous community
with many sub-populations.
I often like to say
that the term
"Asian American" is as helpful
as the term "European American."
So we are a very diverse group
with respect to country
of origin and immigration
status, whether we speak English
as our first language,
and there are many cultural
and health literacy issues
as well.
So we need a broad approach
that addresses each community,
each culture; spread the message
that we can enhance prevention
and education, early detection,
and quality of care.
And that's got
to be a community-based strategy
that involves the whole country.
[ Music ]