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Some Victorians born overseas are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with liver and stomach cancer compared with their Australian-born counterparts, new Cancer Council Victoria data shows.
The latest Victorian Cancer Registry report, provided to The Age before its release on Wednesday, crunched extensive data on the relationship between cancer diagnoses and country of origin for the first time.
Results show several overseas-born groups have comparatively higher rates of liver, stomach, thyroid and pancreatic cancer diagnosis, while prostate, bowel and melanoma rates are generally higher among Australian-born Victorians.
Residents are being urged to know their hepatitis status and discuss other risk factors with their doctor in light of the analysis, which was drawn from almost a decade’s worth of data. This is because more than half of liver cancers are thought to be linked to preventable factors such as viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis B is spread via blood or other fluids and is commonly passed from mother to baby during childbirth.
Without medical intervention, up to one in four people with chronic hepatitis B dies prematurely from liver cancer or liver damage.
Melburnian Chris Kee, who was born in Malaysia, was diagnosed with liver cancer a couple of years ago.Credit: Justin McManus
This year’s cancer registry report shows that Victorian women born in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia are 3.4 times as likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer compared with Australia-born Victorian women. Men from mainland South-East Asia are estimated to be 3.8 times more likely to be diagnosed with this cancer.
For men born in Vietnam, that figure is 3.5, while women born in north-east Asia and Italy are twice as likely to be diagnosed with liver cancer compared with women born in Australia.
Globally, liver cancer is the sixth-most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third-highest leading cause of cancer death.
Victorian women born in Greece, China and South Pacific countries such Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea are twice as likely to be diagnosed with stomach cancer than women born in Australia.
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Victorian men born in the Middle East are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer, while men born in Spain, Portugal and Malta 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, below the Adam’s apple, that helps regulate the body’s metabolism. The pancreas is located behind the stomach and helps to regulate blood sugars. Cancer of the thyroid and pancreas isn’t common, but cases are rising – among women and young people, respectively.
Truganina resident Chris Kee was born in Malaysia and moved to Melbourne in 2003. A tumour on his liver was discovered by doctors three years ago after he suffered a bad fall.
“I fell at Hoppers Crossing while walking to retrieve my car from a parking lot,” Kee said. “I was walking there, and I don’t know how I tripped, but I fell, and I broke six ribs.”
Kee at home in Melbourne’s western suburbs with his dog, Lunar.Credit: Justin McManus
A series of scans and tests revealed he had a six-centimetre tumour on his liver, which, when removed, was found to be cancerous – a result that left him in shock.
“I never had hepatitis when I came to Australia. If I had it, they would have denied my visa because they’re very strict here. All the blood tests – I was surprised.”
Kee said his liver function is OK for now because the hepatitis B virus is currently “sleeping”, but it could return at any moment with a vengeance. For this reason, he is on the liver transplant list.
“In a way, I’m lucky. When I fell down, they discovered this. If I didn’t fall down, I wouldn’t be talking to you.
“I encourage people from the Asian community to please go and get tested. It could save your life.”
Charissa Feng, a senior manager at Cancer Council Victoria’s liver cancer program, said hepatitis B can remain a silent infection for decades and not all countries had access to vaccines administered at birth.
“If you don’t know your hepatitis B status, or you don’t know if you’ve been vaccinated before – especially if you were born overseas – ask your GP for a blood test. And if you have got the hep B virus, it does not mean that you’ve got liver cancer straight away. It’s about getting regular checkups with your GP once or twice a year.”
Victorian Cancer Registry director Professor Sue Evans said she hoped the latest report started conversations among families that would ultimately save lives.
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“A large percentage of Victoria’s population have been born overseas, or have parents that have been born overseas,” she said. “It’s important that we understand where resources should be focused.”
Evans said it was important to note that there were many factors that contributed to cancer risk. And while men born in Italy, Greece, Asia and the Middle East had lower rates of prostate cancer diagnosis compared with Australian-born men, it did not necessarily mean that overseas-born populations had healthier prostates – it likely highlighted the need for men to have more regular conversations with their GPs once they turn 50.
In fact, Victorian males born in Vietnam and other countries within mainland South-East Asia were about 20 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer than Australian-born Victorian men. This was similar for Victorian men born in India, despite having lower overall incidences of the disease.
“It’s a very crude tool to measure cancer, but it’s the one that we have available for us at the moment,” Evans said of Wednesday’s report.
“Ideally, we’d like to be collecting information on how long a person’s been in Australia for and what their language spoken at home is, and what their culture and ethnicity is.”
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