Researchers part-funded by Breast Cancer Now have released new findings revealing that women of African or South Asian ancestry tend to have worse outcomes than women of European ancestry.
In this section
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London investigated clinical and genetic data from over 7000 women with breast cancer. They also found important genetic differences in the cancers of women of African or South Asian ancestry, which the researchers believe could impact their diagnosis and treatment.
The findings highlight the underrepresentation of people of non-European ancestry in cancer studies. And they emphasise an urgent need to break down barriers that prevent medical advances from benefiting everyone equally.
Underrepresented groups in studies
Currently, people of European ancestry make up nearly 80% of participants in genetic cancer studies, despite representing only 16% of the global population. This imbalance means that most of our knowledge about breast cancer risk, prevention, and treatment is based on European populations.
Professor Claude Chelala and her team analysed genetic data and clinical records from over 7,000 women with breast cancer of African, South Asian or European ancestry. They used data from 4 major research initiatives in the UK and US including The Breast Cancer Now Biobank.
Revealing the blind spots
Compared with women of European ancestry, they found that women from South Asian backgrounds were diagnosed nearly 7 years earlier and died around 13 years younger. They also found that women of African ancestry were diagnosed around 5 years earlier and died nearly 9 years younger.
The researchers suggest that current NHS screening guidelines, which recommend breast screening for all women from age 50, may start too late for women from some backgrounds.
The study also identified differences in alteration rates in genes linked to breast cancer, including the BRCA gene. This information plays an important role in influencing treatment decisions for breast cancer.
Some women had genetic alterations that made their cancer resistant to some treatments, but this wasn't factored into their care. If doctors had been aware of this information at diagnosis, they could have decided on more effective treatments.
Precision medicine has the power to revolutionise cancer care, but only if it works for everyone. If we fail to address blind-spots in research, we risk widening health inequalities rather than reducing them.
Professor Claude Chelala
A fairer future
Professor Chelala and her team plan to expand their research to study other cancer types and other populations, including people of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.
They are also exploring how we can overcome the barriers to seeking care and participating in research that people from different ethnicities currently face.
“Our study is among the largest of its kind in these populations, but we need even larger cohorts to fully understand the genetic and clinical factors affecting breast cancer across diverse populations. We hope our results will serve as a wake-up call. Funders and scientists need to work together and rethink how we design cancer research and clinical trials to represent a balance of ethnicities and ensure that no group is left behind.”
Professor Claude Chelala
The research was funded by Breast Cancer Now, Barts Charity and the NIHR Barts Biomedical Research Centre.
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