A study recently published in Gynecologic Oncology Reports identified several genetic markers that may explain racial differences in endometrial cancer (EC) outcomes.
Compared to white individuals, Black patients with EC are known to face higher mortality rates. However, it remains unclear whether these disparate outcomes are a result of access to care, treatment responses, genetics or other factors.
The study included 200 patients with EC who were involved in a previous gene sequencing trial sponsored by the University of North Carolina. The trial, known as LCCC 1108, used a panel of approximately 500 cancer-associated genes in order to investigate the genetic basis of different types of cancer.
The authors sought to utilize the data from LCCC 1108 to determine whether genetic differences exist between Black and white patients with EC, and if so, what impact these differences might have on disease outcomes.
Read more about EC causes and risk factors
The study, which included 31 Black and 169 white patients, found that Black patients were more likely to have serous EC, a more aggressive subtype, than white patients. Furthermore, 44.4% of patients with serous tumors had late-stage disease, and 50% showed evidence of cancer in the lymphatic or blood vessels.
Additionally, Black patients were more likely to have mutations in the TP53 gene, while white patients were more likely to have PTEN and ARID1A mutations.
At follow-up, 19% of white patients and 58% of Black patients experienced disease progression. Black patients were found to have significantly lower overall survival and progression-free survival compared to white patients. Also, patients withTP53 mutations had the lowest overall and progression-free survival.
The authors point to the relatively low number of Black participants in their study as a limitation and advocate for future studies with larger sample sizes to validate their findings.
“Additionally, we acknowledge that race can only serve as a proxy for the structural and contextual factors contributing to survival disparities and should not be interpreted in isolation,” they said. “Any survival differences observed by race likely reflect a complex interplay of biological, clinical, and social determinants.”
Sign up here to get the latest news, perspectives, and information about EC sent directly to your inbox. Registration is free and only takes a minute.
