Understanding how genetic ancestry may influence cancer development

Brittany D Lord; Rachel N Martini; Melissa B Davis

doi:10.1016/j.trecan.2021.12.006

Understanding how genetic ancestry may influence cancer development

Trends Cancer. 2022 Apr;8(4):276-279. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.12.006. Epub 2022 Jan 10.

Authors

Brittany D Lord¹, Rachel N Martini², Melissa B Davis³

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
² Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA.
³ Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA; New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA; Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: mbd4001@med.cornell.edu.

PMID: 35027335
DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.12.006

Abstract

Of the multifactorial determinants that lead to cancer health disparities among race groups, quantified genetic ancestry has begun to expand our knowledge beyond self-reported race. However, it is essential to study these biological determinants in the context of social determinants to truly improve clinical tools and achieve equitable survival outcomes.

Keywords: cancer disparities; ethnicity; genetic ancestry; race.

MeSH terms

Humans
Neoplasms* / genetics
Racial Groups* / genetics