IS NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA MORE COMMON IN HAKKAS THAN IN FUKIENESE -A COMPARISON WITHIN THE TAIWANESE POPULATION

This study is to ascertain whether Hakkas have a higher incidence of n asopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) than Fukienese as being proposed. A tota l of 949 NPC patients during 1990-1993 were serially recruited. Their ethnicity and residential area since childhood were compared to the ce nsus data in 1956. The 95% confidence interval of odds ratios for Hakk as to Fukienese in various counties were found to overlap within a ran ge from 0.85 to 1.15 without showing statistically significant differe nce from unity. This result indicates that there is no extra ethnic ri sk between the two groups in Taiwan.