A recent study has identified twelve genes linked to breast cancer in women of African ancestry.
Published in Nature Genetics, this research could help better predict breast cancer risk for these women and highlight differences compared to women of European descent.
This suggests that genetic risk factors for breast cancer may differ between women of African and European ancestry.
In the United States, Black women have higher rates of breast cancer before age 50, more cases of difficult-to-treat breast cancers, and a 42% higher breast cancer death rate compared to white women, according to the American Cancer Society.
By adding the newly identified genes to previously known breast cancer genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, the researchers developed a more accurate breast cancer risk score for women of African ancestry.
A recent study has identified twelve genes linked to breast cancer in women of African ancestry.
Published in Nature Genetics, this research could help better predict breast cancer risk for these women and highlight differences compared to women of European descent.
Previous studies on genetic mutations linked to breast cancer have mostly focused on women of European ancestry. This new research involved over 40,000 women of African ancestry from the United States, Africa, and Barbados, including 18,034 with breast cancer.
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The study found some mutations not previously linked to breast cancer or not as strongly linked as seen here. This suggests that genetic risk factors for breast cancer may differ between women of African and European ancestry.
One newly identified mutation was particularly strongly linked to breast cancer, a finding rarely seen in cancer genetics.
Interestingly, some genes known to increase breast cancer risk in white women were not associated with the disease in this study.
In the United States, Black women have higher rates of breast cancer before age 50, more cases of difficult-to-treat breast cancers, and a 42% higher breast cancer death rate compared to white women, according to the American Cancer Society.
By adding the newly identified genes to previously known breast cancer genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, the researchers developed a more accurate breast cancer risk score for women of African ancestry. Some genes known to increase breast cancer risk in white women were not associated with the disease in this study. (Photo: Getty Images)
Six of these genes were linked to a higher risk of triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of the disease.
Previous research has shown that Black women have nearly a three-fold increased risk for this type of breast cancer compared to white women.
The study found that women carrying all six genes were 4.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than those with none or only one of the variants.
However, the usefulness of these new genetic markers needs further evaluation before they can be used in routine testing, said Dr. Wei Zheng of Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, who led the study.
The American Cancer Society advises genetic testing for all breast cancer patients, regardless of race, as many genetic mutations identified in white women are also linked with breast cancer risk in Black women. However, Black women in the U.S. are less likely than white women to undergo genetic testing, mainly due to differences in physician recommendations or access to care.
Published By: Daphne Clarance Published On: May 14, 2024
