Hidden Burdens: Understanding Digestive Cancer Risk in Asian Populations

Asian Americans are often perceived as a “healthy” minority group, yet data show they face disproportionate risks of digestive cancers and chronic conditions—including certain esophageal cancers, liver cancer linked to hepatitis B, and gastric cancer. In this talk, Dr. Huang explores why these disparities exist, the barriers to early detection and treatment, and what communities and health care systems can do to address them.

Speaker: 

Dr. Robert Huang is a  gastroenterologist and clinical researcher who seeks to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of digestive malignancies. His clinical practice is focused on the use of endoscopy to improve digestive cancer detection and prevention. He has a particular interest in gastric precancerous lesions (such as atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia) which give rise to stomach cancer. His research is aimed at improving digestive cancer outcomes and reducing cancer disparities through data science, cohort building, and biomarker development. His research group conducts patient-facing research studies, EHR-based studies, and large database studies. He has also participated in activities at the local, regional, and national level to improve the health of Asian Americans.