Cancer patterns in the Polynesian population of Hawaii and New Zealand were compared with their European counterparts and with the Polynesian population of Samoa. In general, the cancer patterns of the Polynesians are similar; rates are higher for stomach, breast, lung, prostate, and liver cancers and lower for colon and rectal cancers. Cigarette smoking may explain most, if not all, of the lung cancer excess in Polynesians. However, no clear dietary differences between Polynesians and Europeans are evident that could explain the high risk of the former population to stomach cancer and of the Europeans to colon and rectal cancers.