Cancer is a very scary word to hear when it is directed towards you in a healthcare setting. It can be even harder when its something that's stigmatized and not talked about openly. Below is some information about cancers found in south asians, signs to look out for, and some social problems these people face when it comes to disclosing their diagnosis.
Some of the most common cancers seen in people living in south asia are oral, throat and esophageal cancers. The reason is most likely due to lack of education regarding the dangers of smoking. There are various types of tobacco consumed very commonly especially among men, such as smoking "hookah"(waterpipe) and chewing "paan", which is tobacco rolled in betel nut leaves. Common signs and symptoms include hard lumps in the mouth that won't go away, bleeding, and difficulty swallowing.
Among women, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed. Even a lot of premenopausal women are affected by it. One such example is one of my relatives. She was diagnosed in her late 30s and underwent surgery and radiation therapy. Unfortunately, she succumbed to it, leaving behind 3 young children. Some risk factors include early menarche, late menopause and nulliparity. Things that reduce the risk are breastfeeding and lower body mass index. Breast cancer can be defeated of detected early, and that requires education about detecting it. Women should be advised to self-examine their breasts starting from a young age and be on the lookout for all possible red flags such as lumps on the breast or armpit, skin changes, and nipple discharge.
Unfortunately, a lot of south asian women will come for a health check when the breast cancer has already reached the end-stage. This may be due to stigma regarding breast cancer. Due to the more conservative environment, some women are aware of something wrong but are too nervous to go the doctor because they don't want their bodies exposed, especially if the doctor is a male. Some young women (even men) fear they will never find spouses if people find out about their diagnosis. An article with south asian women talking about their experiences is linked below. It's quite shocking how stigmatized cancer is.
Some other preventable cancers I have seen as a medical student in south asia include stomach and liver cancers. Stomach cancer is usually associated with H. Pylori, which is treatable with antibiotics. Resistance to antibiotics is an issue due to self-treatment or inappropriate antibiotic dosage intake. Liver cancer is caused by Hepatitis viruses B and C, which are rampant in south asia due to vertical transmission during childbirth, needlestick injuries or blood transfusion related spread.
A common cancer found in women is cervical cancer. Again, it is caused by certain types of HPV, notably types 16, 18, 31 and 33. It is easily preventable by taking the Gardasil vaccine and undergoing regular Pap smear starting at the age of 21. However, education about sexually transmitted disease is still taboo in many parts of south asia. Very little people know about this vaccine and pap smears are not common. Some warning signs include intermenstrual bleeding or bleeding after intercourse.
An interesting fact about cancers in general is when people move to another country, they adopt the cancer patterns of the new country. An example of this is south asians living in their homeland versus California. Rates for most cancers except cervical, head and neck cancer were found to be higher in South Asians living in California than those living in their home countries. So this means that living in the USA has led to increased risk factor exposure. If we look into detail, prostate, colon and lung cancer are the most common cancers for South Asian men in California. However, head, neck and stomach cancer are the most common cancers for South Asian men living in India. Similarly, south asian women living in California have higher rates of uterine and colon cancer as compared to their counterparts from India (the latter have higher rates of head and neck cancers).
Hopefully, as education and awareness about these cancers and their risk factors grow, The rates of cancer in these regions (and globally) trend downwards.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9966174/#:~:text=Two%20globally%20licensed%20HPV%20vaccines,marketed%20by%20GlaxoSmithKline%2C%20Pakistan). Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board