Germline Variations May Contribute to Population Differences in Prostate Cancer Risk
Posted: Thursday, February 4, 2021
The authors of a large multiancestry meta-analysis published in Nature Genetics have identified 86 new genetic variations that increase prostate cancer risk, bringing the total number of known risk variants to 269. According to a model developed by Christopher A. Haiman, ScD, of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and colleagues, men of African ancestry seem to inherit about twice the prostate cancer risk compared with men of European ancestry. In contrast, men of Asian ancestry may inherit about three-quarters the risk of men of European ancestry.
“We not only found new markers of risk, but also demonstrated that, by combining genetic information across populations, we were able to identify a risk profile that can be applied across populations,” said Dr. Haiman in a Keck School of Medicine press release. “This emphasizes the value of adding multiple racial and ethnic populations into genetic studies.”
This meta-analysis included combined data from genome-wide association studies for 107,247 prostate cancer cases and 127,006 controls, including men from European, African, East Asian, and Hispanic populations.
The authors constructed a genetic risk score using the multiancestry weights of the risk variants associated with disease. Compared with men at average genetic risk, the estimated odds ratio for men in the top 10% of the genetic risk score was 5.06 for men of European ancestry, 3.74 for men of African ancestry, 4.47 for men of East Asian ancestry, and 4.15 for Hispanic men. “These findings support the role of germline variation contributing to population differences in prostate cancer risk, with the genetic risk score offering an approach for personalized risk prediction,” concluded the authors.
Disclosures: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit nature.com.
