Researchers Publish Results of Largest Genome-Wide
Linkage Study of Prostate Cancer Among African American Men
Collaborative Effort May Open Doors to Improved Diagnosis and
Treatment
Bethesda, Md. — Researchers from 12 institutions,
including the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI),
part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced
the results of the first genome-wide linkage study of prostate
cancer in African Americans. Using genetic markers, researchers
identified several regions of the human genome that likely contain
genes that, when altered, increase the risk of developing prostate
cancer.
The study was conceived, implemented and executed primarily by
African American investigators. Published in the journal, The
Prostate, the findings represent a milestone in years of research
designed to identify genetic risk factors for prostate cancer and
to help determine if heredity plays a role in the disparity in
prostate cancer rates seen in African American men.
The African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) study
network recruited 77 African American extended families, which
encompassed a total of 418 men with prostate cancer, to participate
in this study. All of the families studied had at least four men
who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Using genetic markers,
researchers were able to map several important regions of the human
genome that likely contain genes that, when mutated, predispose
these men to developing prostate cancer.
"We now must sift through millions of bases of genome sequence
to identify the proverbial needle in the haystack," said the study's
senior author, John Carpten, Ph.D., who is director of the Integrated
Cancer Genomics Division at TGen in Phoenix. "The discovery of
these genes will hopefully lead to new and improved modes of diagnosis
and treatment for some men with prostate cancer. This work speaks
to our committed efforts to help reduce the disparity in prostate
cancer rates seen in African American men."
According to the National Cancer Institute, the annual incidence
of prostate cancer among African American men is 277 per 100,000
compared to 168 per 100,000 for white men. The annual death rate
from prostate cancer is 73 per 100,000 for African American men
compared to 30 per 100,000 for white men. Family history is the
most significant risk factor known for prostate cancer among all
men, including African Americans.
"We hope today's findings — and the discoveries we expect
to make in future years — will inspire the worldwide research
community to view this study as a model for many other genetic
studies of common diseases," said NHGRI Director Francis S. Collins,
MD, PhD, who was one of the study's co-authors. "Not only does
this study represent one of the most impressive collections of
prostate cancer families from any ethnic group, it demonstrates
the importance of setting up a network of principal investigators
who are close to the community under study."
The paper's first author, Agnes B. Baffoe-Bonnie, MD, MPH, PhD,
who is an associate member at the Population Science Division at
the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, said these findings
greatly add to our understanding of hereditary prostate cancer
in African Americans. "I commend the many families who took the
time to participate in this important research and praise their
commitment to advancing medical knowledge. These important findings
will be applied to prevention and treatment strategies," Dr. Baffoe-Bonnie
said.
AAHPC is the largest study to date that focuses on prostate cancer
in African American families. The families studied came from Chicago,
Detroit, Houston, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta and South
Carolina.
"Since this disease is so important in this population, this is
a critical study in terms of our ability to understand the molecular
mechanisms responsible for the disproportionate risk observed in
African American men for both diagnosis of and mortality from prostate
cancer," said William B. Isaacs, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine in Baltimore, who is head of the International
Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics. "The mapping information
provided by these researchers will provide essential information
necessary for the ultimate identification of the genes involved,
and hopefully for mechanistically based efforts to address this
disparity."
The AAHPC was a collaborative effort involving 12 institutions
nationwide: TGen; Fox Chase Cancer Center; NHGRI; the Comprehensive
Cancer Center at the Ohio State University in Columbus; the National
Human Genome Center, the Department of Microbiology and the Division
of Urology at Howard University, Washington; Midtown Urology in
Atlanta, the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York;
the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago; the MD Anderson Medical
Center in Houston; the University of Illinois in Chicago; the University
of South Carolina in Columbia; and the Karmanos Cancer Institute,
Wayne State University in Detroit.
How to Create a Family Health History
To help people in the task of creating their family health histories,
the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services offers a free,
computerized tool that organizes health information into a printout
that can be can taken to health-care professionals. The tool,
called "My Family Health Portrait," is available at https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/.
NHGRI played a seminal role in starting the AAHPC study by
helping to bring the investigators together. In addition, the
Institute made long-term contributions to the study's design
and provided funding for data collection efforts. Additional
information about NHGRI can be found at www.genome.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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