Groundbreaking study finds new genes in black women causing breast cancer
The Genome-Wide Association study (Gwas), which is the first to focus on black women on the continent, was published in the journal Nature Communications . It brings to the fore the importance of deepening knowledge about the genetic basis of the disease.
In the past, most breast cancer genetics research has focused on European and Asian populations, with studies of African ancestry limited primarily to African-American women, who largely descend from West African populations.
A tool that estimates lifetime cancer risk based on DNA, the polygenic risk score (PRS), performed poorly in distinguishing South African women with breast cancer from those without. Dr Jean-Tristan Brandenburg, also in the SBIMB and a lead author, said this was a result of the mechanism not being tailored for the black population.
'This is because most PRSs were developed in European populations, and their inaccuracy in African populations highlights the urgent need for ancestry-specific tools in cancer risk prediction,' Brandenburg said.
African populations have more genetic variation than any other population in the world, but they have been significantly underrepresented in genomic research. This means the global understanding of disease risk and the tools and treatment developed from it are limited.
'The study reveals that more people can benefit from genetic discoveries. It proves that new risk factors are still out there, waiting to be found,' says Hayat.
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