Mortality and Cancer Incidence in Vietnamese Refugees in England and Wales: A Follow-Up Study

Mortality and cancer incidence were analysed in follow-up of a cohort of 3327 Vietnamese refugees who came to Britain after the end of the Vietnam war. Overall mortality of the refugees was very low compared to expectations based on England and Wales national rates: the all-cause standardized mortality ratio for males was 64 (95% confidence interval 52-77) and for females was 56 (95% confidence interval 44-71). This resulted particularly from very low mortality from ischaemic heart disease and colorectal cancer in each sex, and breast cancer in women. Mortality in the refugees was greatly increased for tuberculosis, cancer of the stomach in both sexes, cancers of the nasopharynx and liver in males, and peptic ulcer in females. Cancer incidence data showed in addition an excess of cancer of the penis. Despite the great trauma and stress of their flight, the only indication of a possible effect of the migration on the mortality of the refugees who survived to reach Britain was the excess of peptic ulcer deaths in women.