African men face increased prostate cancer risks because genetic factors increase their prostate cancer risks.

Early screening is key in combatting Africa’s rising cases of prostate cancer – and doesn’t need to involve an invasive procedure.

On a continent where prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers and men have unique genetic risks for developing it, cancer survivors and health experts have an urgent message for us: it must not go undetected!

In 2020, prostate cancer was the predominant form of male cancer across 40 Sub-Saharan African nations.

Southern Africa experiences prostate cancer mortality rates that are almost three times the global average due to limited access to healthcare, inadequate early detection programs and genetic risk factors.

Although prostate cancer is widespread, knowledge regarding its symptoms remains inadequate and too many men are diagnosed too late.

Nigeria is notoriously known for late-stage presentations of diseases such as HIV/AIDs. These complications make treatment harder to implement and lead to poor results, further compounding outcomes and complicating treatment regimes.

Why are African men at increased risk?

Studies are increasingly linking African ancestry with an increased risk of prostate cancer and more aggressive disease progression.

As part of an attempt to address these challenges, MADCaP (Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate Consortium) is undertaking an important study highlighting specific genetic risks related to African men.

Published in Nature Genetics journal last October, this research analysed data from nearly 8,000 participants spanning five African nations; making this the largest genome study on prostate cancer ever undertaken on that continent.

Research findings uncovered three genetic regions (loci) linked with increased prostate cancer risk among African populations, each having unique variations that contribute to these risks.

According to researchers, these results underscore the significance of adapting screening and treatment plans according to African populations’ genetic diversity.

Carl Chen, one of MADCaP’s lead researchers, explained how its focus on African genomes enabled researchers to uncover genetic markers which have often gone undetected when studies focused on non-African populations are undertaken.

By targeting African populations specifically, we discovered new genetic risk factors previously unidentified. By taking this approach we uncovered key genetic risk factors previously undiscovered; and revealed their unique genetic landscape; as well as providing the basis for interventions tailored specifically for African men’s healthcare.
Carl Chen of MADCaP leads research.

Chen emphasizes the significance of early intervention as an essential strategy in combatting prostate cancer.

“Having data specific to African genetics puts us in an excellent position to tailor screening protocols that may improve survival rates,” stated Dawood.

Debunking myths surrounding prostate cancer

Though advances have been made, barriers remain to effective prostate cancer care. Misinformation and stigma associated with screening prevent men in many African nations from seeking timely testing; for example in Nigeria many mistakenly believe screening involves invasive procedures which discourage participation.

Dare Adeosun, 52 years old from Nigeria who was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer in late 2022, shared how understanding the screening process made a significant impactful difference to his case.

“Initially when I heard about prostate cancer screenings I assumed they would be painful processes”, he stated.

“Like many men, I assumed this process would involve an uncomfortable physical exam; but after speaking with my physician during my annual medical checkup, I learned it simply involved blood testing – this made a big difference allowing me to go forward without fear.

Adeosun credits early testing as his reason for having an excellent prognosis and is advocating greater efforts to inform men of its benefits and ease.

Prostate cancer advocates such as health tech entrepreneur Ifeoluwa Dare-Johnson have stressed the need to streamline screening messaging.

Dare-Johnson of Healthtracka noted that increasing men’s knowledge on how simple prostate cancer screening processes is has increased participation.

“Educating men about the ease and necessity of screening makes a real difference,” according to Sheehan.

“Men are becoming more willing to undergo testing once they understand that screening doesn’t involve invasive procedures.”

What can research offer?
In addition to raising awareness, Chen and his co-authors assert that investing locally in prostate cancer research is vital in terms of improving results and increasing survival rates.

“Establishing research facilities and training scientists across Africa is vital in order to address its health challenges,” Chen asserted.

“This study shows how African researchers can and must lead research addressing health concerns affecting African populations.

Traditional African health agenda has focused largely on infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculosis; however, Chen and his colleagues assert that noncommunicable conditions like prostate cancer require special consideration and resources.

Dare-Johnson states that with prostate cancer being one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths among African men, localized strategies offer an opportunity to significantly increase survival rates and substantially boost survival rates.

“Prostate cancer represents an enormous health burden and locally tailored solutions may offer opportunities to tackle it more effectively,” according to Dare-Johnson.

Journal reference:Janivara, R. et al. (2024). Investigating Heterogeneous Genetic Architectures for Prostate Cancer Susceptibility in Sub-Saharan Africa Using Pathogenic Loci of Prostate Tumor Susceptibility Genetic Variants from African Populations. Nature Genetics doi.org/10.1038/s41588-01931-3