Why do men of African ancestry die from prostate cancer more frequently than other men and experience the greatest burden of advanced prostate disease globally?
A large-scale retrospective analysis by researchers with the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, suggests that differences in care, rather than genetics, likely explain disparities in advanced prostate cancer between men of African and European ancestry.
The study of almost 13,000 men with advanced prostate cancer, published May 24 in The Lancet Digital Health is one of the most comprehensive studies to date of prostate cancer disparities between men of these ethnicities.
Researchers found that men of African ancestry – despite being at higher risk for developing aggressive prostate disease – are less likely to get comprehensive genetic profiling of their tumors early in treatment. That means they do not benefit as often as their European counterparts from sophisticated testing that can guide genetically targeted therapy and lead to improved patient outcomes. Instead, they may endure other, sometimes less-effective treatments as their cancer progresses.
