UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology SUMMER 2024 - Flipbook - Page 50
UCLA RADIATION ONCOLOGY JOURNAL
LARGE PRECISION ONCOLOGY STUDY IDENTIFIES
DIFFERENCES IN PROSTATE CANCER GENOMICS AMONG A
RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE COHORT OF U.S. VETERANS
A new study led by a UCLA-VA collaborative team looking at the landscape of genomic alterations
in more than 5,000 veterans with metastatic prostate cancer uncovered differences in the genomic
makeup of cancer cells that were associated with race and ethnicity.
Although the team found that a similar set of cancer-related genes were altered in both non-Hispanic
Black and non-Hispanic white veterans, the frequencies that these alterations were observed at
varied significantly between the two groups. After adjusting for a number of individual patient-level
factors, including the type of cancer tissue tested, clinical variables, and social determinants of health
indices, the authors discovered that Black veterans exhibited higher rates of genomic alterations in
immunotherapy targets—a finding that could translate into opportunities to offer precision-based
therapy for these men.
When looking at how these alterations impact survival, consistent with previous reports, alterations
in tumor suppressor genes like TP53 were associated with shorter survival in both Black and white
veterans.
“One of the highlights of our analysis is the prevalence of clinically actionable alterations that are
affecting a significant proportion of individuals, regardless of race,” said Dr. Luca Valle, Assistant
Professor of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and first author of the
abstract. “This means we may be able to use specific medications that target vulnerabilities in tumors
associated with the genomic changes we observed. Ensuring equal access to genomic tumor testing and
precision medicine treatments may be a viable strategy to help close the well-described gaps in prostate
cancer outcomes between Black and white men. This work really emphasizes the fact that equal access
healthcare systems, such as the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System, enable precision-guided
therapies, which may result in more equitable outcomes in men with advanced prostate cancer.”
BACKGROUND
Black men have a higher incidence rate of prostate cancer compared to white men and are more likely
to be diagnosed at a younger age and with more aggressive forms of the disease. According to the
American Cancer Society, Black men are 70% to 110% more likely to develop prostate cancer in their
lifetime and twice as likely to die from the disease. Investigating the genomic landscape of prostate
cancer in diverse populations may uncover valuable insights into the biological mechanisms underlying
prostate cancer in different populations, improve diagnostic and treatment approaches and ultimately
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