21 September 2011
Prostate cancer risk - in black and white
by George Atkinson 
Prostate cancer mortality rates are higher in African-American men compared to white men and genetic differences could be the cause, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities. "There are a lot of socioeconomic and environmental factors that create differences in levels of prostate cancer in these two groups," said Bi-Dar Wang, from the George Washington University. "We've found that genetic elements play a role in these disparities as well." Wang and colleagues analyzed normal and cancerous prostate tissue samples from African-American and white men who underwent prostate biopsies. They looked at two key genetic pieces: messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA. The results showed enough differences between African-American and white men to determine that each race has "population specific" mRNA and microRNA. Specifically, they found nearly 400 mRNAs were differentially expressed between the cancerous prostate tissues of African-American and white men.
"It is still too early to conclude any novel treatment strategy based on our results. [However] these findings will advance our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer disparities and may help with the development of novel strategies for prostate cancer detection and personalized treatment for African-American men," Wang concluded. Related:
Risk Of Prostate Cancer May Be Inherited
Prostate cancer: size matters...
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
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