Low cancer incidence rates in Ohio Amish

• Published in: Cancer causes & control Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 69 - 75
• Main Authors: Westman, Judith A, Ferketich, Amy K, Kauffman, Ross M, MacEachern, Steven N, Wilkins, J. R. III, Wilcox, Patricia P, Pilarski, Robert T, Nagy, Rebecca, Lemeshow, Stanley, de la Chapelle, Albert, Bloomfield, Clara D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.01.2010; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Age groups; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cancer incidence; Cancer Research; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Cultural Characteristics; Data collection; Environmental Exposure; Epidemiology; Family medical history; Female; Genetic mutation; Genetics; Hematology; Households; Humans; Incidence; Information search; Male; Medical genetics; Medical records; Middle Aged; Mutation; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - etiology; Occupational Exposure; Ohio - epidemiology; Oncology; Original Paper; Population genetics; Population Surveillance; Public Health; Registries; Religion; Risk Factors; Tobacco; Ohio; United States > US; USA, Ohio; Founder population; Cancer incidence; Tobacco; Amish
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-009-9435-7

Background The Amish have not been previously studied for cancer incidence, yet they have the potential to help in the understanding of its environmental and genetic contributions. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of cancer among the largest Amish population. Methods Adults from randomly selected households were interviewed and a detailed cancer family history was taken. Using both the household interview data and a search of the Ohio cancer registry data, a total of 191 cancer cases were identified between the years 1996 and 2003. Results The age-adjusted cancer incidence rate for all cancers among the Amish adults was 60% of the age-adjusted adult rate in Ohio (389.5/10⁵ vs. 646.9/10⁵; p < 0.0001). The incidence rate for tobacco-related cancers in the Amish was 37% of the rate for Ohio adults (p < 0.0001). The incidence rate for non-tobacco-related cancers in the Amish was 72% of the age-adjusted adult rate in Ohio (p = 0.0001). Conclusion Cancer incidence is low in the Ohio Amish. These data strongly support reduction of cancer incidence by tobacco abstinence but cannot be explained solely on this basis. Understanding these contributions may help to identify additional important factors to target to reduce cancer among the non-Amish.