Low cancer rates in Hispanic women related to social and economic factors.

Differences in the occurrence of three common types of cancer among Hispanic compared to Anglo women are presented. These are cancers of the breast, colon, and lung, which together account for about half of all newly diagnosed cancers in the U.S. Differences occur in at least three different geographic areas, Texas, New Mexico, and Los Angeles. These cancer differences are presented in the light of some social and economic differences between Hispanic and Anglo women. Among them are several indicators of social class or economic development, fertility patterns, urban-rural differences, migration status and dietary habits resulting in different nutritional status between the two groups. Although a dietary hypothesis is attractive to explain the differences in breast and colon cancers, it is by no means proved. The magnitude of the differences in these cancers, coupled with their frequency of occurrence in the population, make them important sources for future study. The differences strongly suggest the existence of protective factors associated with ethnic-related life styles of Hispanic women.