News In Brief

Health of Vietnamese women highlighted

UC Davis Health System and the Bach Viet Association sponsored the free conference "Common Cancers: What Every Vietnamese Woman Should Know and Every Doctor Should Understand" at he cancer center.

State Sen. Deborah Ortiz hosted the special event and provided updates on state legislation regarding women's health and the state of California's commitment to educate patients and health-care providers about gender-based cancers. The presentations, which were delivered in Vietnamese, also featured lectures on nutrition and diet, a health fair and free screenings.

A report published by the National Cancer Institute indicated that, although lung and breast cancers are the most common for the general female population, Vietnamese American women have the highest cervical cancer rates of any ethnic group in the United States. In addition, the cancer-screening rate for the Vietnamese American population is very low. Language gaps and a lack of general preventive care are among the factors contributing to the poor use of routine screenings, Pap smears and mammograms in this population.