A new study suggests that living in disadvantaged neighborhoods may contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer among Black men, potentially explaining part of the racial disparity in prostate cancer outcomes.
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that Black men residing in poor neighborhoods were more likely to have increased expression of genes related to stress and inflammation. These genetic changes could increase the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.
“Our findings suggest an impact of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods — which more commonly affects African Americans — on stress-related genetic pathways in the body,” said Kathryn Hughes Barry, associate professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed 105 stress-related genes in over 200 Black and white men with prostate cancer. Researchers found that men living in economically disadvantaged areas had higher expression of five genes linked to inflammation, with the HTR6 gene showing the strongest association.
Barry noted that these neighborhoods often suffer from the long-term effects of racial segregation and discriminatory policies like redlining.
The findings align with previous research showing that Black men are more likely to live in disadvantaged neighborhoods and face higher prostate cancer mortality rates.
Researchers plan to conduct larger studies to further investigate the relationships between neighborhood factors, individual characteristics, and prostate cancer outcomes. The goal is to inform interventions that could help reduce prostate cancer disparities among racial groups.
