Prostate cancer health disparities: An immuno-biological perspective

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in males, and, in the United States, is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men older than 40 years. There is a higher incidence of PCa for African Americans (AAs) than for European-Americans (EAs). Investigations related to the incidence of PCa-related health disparities for AAs suggest that there are differences in the genetic makeup of these populations. Other differences are environmentally induced (e.g., diet and lifestyle), and the exposures are different. Men who immigrate from Eastern to Western countries have a higher risk of PCa than men in their native countries. However, the number of immigrants developing PCa is still lower than that of men in Western countries, suggesting that genetic factors are involved in the development of PCa. Altered genetic polymorphisms are associated with PCa progression. Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) are involved in the development and progression of PCa. For populations with diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, differences in lifestyle, diet, and biology, including genetic mutations/polymorphisms and levels of androgens and AR, are risk factors for PCa. Here, we provide an immuno-biological perspective on PCa in relation to racial/ethnic disparities and identify factors associated with the disproportionate incidence of PCa and its clinical outcomes.

Comparative analysis of 1152 African-American and European-American men with prostate cancer identifies distinct genomic and immunological differences

“…Effective prognosis and personalized treatment regimens for PCa require identifying tumor-specific genomic factors and events and discovering disease-associated mechanisms. Although previous studies have demonstrated the existence of genomic differences between AAM and EAM men, the underlying mechanisms driving poor survival in AAM patients are not completely understood 7 . A number of mechanisms have been attributed to race disparities in PCa, including varying molecular subtypes, anatomic tumor location, dysregulation of oncogenic pathways, and the tumor microenvironment 4 , 8 – 10 .…”

Database Mining of Genes of Prognostic Value for the Prostate Adenocarcinoma Microenvironment Using the Cancer Gene Atlas

“…Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men [1]. With increasing living standards in China, the incidence of prostate cancer has also increased over time [2].…”

Lack of Racial Survival Differences in Metastatic Prostate Cancer in National Cancer Data Base (NCDB): A Different Finding Compared to Non-metastatic Disease

“…It is widely recognized that when compared to white men, African American men are more likely to develop PCa, tend to be diagnosed at a younger age, exhibit higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and demonstrate more advanced or metastatic disease at diagnosis (8)(9)(10)(11)(12). Besides, African American men are four times more likely to develop metastatic PCa (mPCa) than white men and more than twice as likely to die from PCa (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19). It is of vital importance to continue research on racial disparity of PCa to better understand the disease and improve the survival outcomes of African American men.…”