05/15/2026
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and it’s a good time for a reminder worth sharing:
Knowing your cancer risk starts with knowing your history: Your health history, your family’s health history, and the factors that may increase your risk.
HPV+ cancers can affect anyone. But access to information, screening, and follow-up care isn’t equal for everyone. For many in AAPI communities, cultural barriers, language barriers, and gaps in Provider awareness can stand in the way of early detection. And the impact of this inequity is measurable.
When Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) patients, in particular, present to their Providers with head & neck cancer (HPV+ and HPV-), 70.4% are already at stage 3 or stage 4, compared with 63.8% of white patients and 60.7% of Asian patients. And five-year overall survival for NHOPI patients is 49%, compared to 53.9% for white patients and 57.4% for Asian patients. [1]
If you or someone you love has been affected by HPV+ cancer or wants to understand their risk, talking to a knowledgeable Provider is the first step.
1. Moon PK et al. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022. http://doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2022.1086.