Could Living in Poor Neighborhoods Fuel Prostate Cancer in Black Men? Study Says It Might

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 16, 2024.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, July 16, 2024 -- The stress of living in a poor neighborhood might contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer in Black men, a new study warns.

Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than white men, and more likely to develop it as well, the researchers noted.

This could be due in part to living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, which is associated with significantly higher activity in genes related to stress, according to the new research.

These genes, activated by extreme hardship or trauma, can set off a cascade of events that increase risk of cancer, researchers explained.

“Our findings suggest an impact of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods -- which more commonly affects African Americans -- on stress-related genetic pathways in the body,” said senior researcher Kathryn Hughes Barry, an associate professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

“We believe this may increase an individual’s risk of aggressive prostate cancer and contribute to prostate cancer disparities by race,” Barry added in a university news release.

For the study, researchers analyzed 105 stress-related genes in more than 200 Black and white men with prostate cancer. All of the men underwent surgery to remove their prostate at the University of Maryland Medical Center between 1992 and 2021.

The research team used the men’s address at the time of their diagnosis to assess whether they lived in a neighborhood affected by lower income, education and employment.

These poor neighborhoods often are suffering the long-term impact of racial segregation and racist policies like redlining, in which certain neighborhoods were systematically denied mortgage applications or refinancing based on race, researchers said.

The findings agreed with earlier research that found Black men are more likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The study also found that Black men in these neighborhoods were more likely to have a higher expression of five genes related to inflammation. Increased inflammation has been linked with a higher risk of prostate cancer and a higher risk of aggressive cancer.

The gene that showed the strongest link was HTR6, part of the serotonin pathway that carries messages between the brain and parts of the body. HTR6 also contributes to pathways related to immune response, and various HTR genes have been linked with lethal prostate cancer, researchers noted.

The findings were published July 12 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The researchers are planning a broader follow-up study that will include patient data from across the United States.

“We need to conduct larger studies to investigate the interrelationships of different neighborhood factors, individual-level factors, tumor biology, tumor aggressiveness and patient outcomes to help inform interventions to reduce prostate cancer disparities,” Barry said.

Sources

  • University of Maryland, news release, July 12, 2024

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2024-07-17 03:15

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords