- UEA and Imperial College hope their prostate cancer test could help black men.
- Scientists hope to use DNA and AI to detect prostate cancer in black men.
- Black men’s prostate cancer risk is double that of white guys.
UEA and Imperial College (Imperial College) are hopeful that their recently developed test for prostate cancer may be of use to black men.
Scientists hope to use DNA and AI to detect prostate cancer in black men.
Black men’s prostate cancer risk is double that of white guys.
One researcher said “staggering ethnic inequalities” in prostate cancer need to be addressed.
The researchers from UEA, Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, and Oxford Biodynamics found that prostate cancer tumours leave a genetic imprint on blood cells.
“In the UK there is a racial disparity in prostate cancer, where black patients are twice as likely to develop the disease and die of it than white men.” said Prof Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
“Recent research shows that this staggering racial difference for prostate cancer diagnosis and mortality is due to genetic differences, but their exact nature is currently not known.
“We want to create a fundamentally new, highly accurate genetic blood test for prostate cancer in black men, taking into account their genetic diversity.
“Developing tailored genetic testing is really important because getting an early diagnosis allows better treatment. The five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with stage one prostate cancer is 100 percent, compared with only 50 per cent for those with stage four cancer.”
They intend to examine black, white, and cancer-free blood samples for genetic indicators.
Prostate Cancer Research says targeted genetic testing has “great potential”
Dr. Naomi Elster, the charity’s director of research, said, “We need a new way to diagnose prostate cancer because the PSA blood test isn’t as accurate as we want, rectal exams are invasive and people aren’t comfortable with them, and imaging techniques like MRI require specialist equipment that may not always be available.”
“This genetic test has promise.”
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