New research conducted by scientists at Northwestern University has found that Black men may have a genetic advantage in immunotherapy treatments for prostate cancer.
Black men are more likely to have a type of cell on their tumors that can be targeted.
Black men are disproportionately more likely to get and die of prostate cancer than men of other races.
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Prostate cancer is a risk for all men, but it can be especially deadly for African American men. African American men have higher prostate cancer mortality rates than other groups.
African American men are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, Black men may benefit more from new immunotherapy therapies, which stimulate the immune system to fight cancer.
The study from Northwestern University uncovered why Black men might have a genetic advantage in immunotherapy treatments.
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More Immune Cells Mean Better Responses to Certain Therapies
The Northwestern University study found that prostate tumors from Black men and men of African ancestry have more plasma cells than tumors in men of other races.
These plasma cells can be protective. African American men have a higher preponderance of these cells in their tissues, and those higher levels tend to be protective. Patients with higher levels of plasma cells have better outcomes in prostate cancer cases.
New immunotherapy treatments may be able to target these cells and reduce tumors. Increased plasma cells are associated with improved cancer survival rates following surgery. Researchers identified plasma cells as possibly driving prostate cancer-immune responses.
If a man’s prostate cancer has numerous plasma cells, researchers found he has an improved chance of cancer survival. The study suggested plasma cells are important in the body’s response to cancer.
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What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is a broad term. It refers to the practice of using your immune system to help fight off prostate cancer.
Immunotherapy treatment is also used to fight prostate cancer that has become resistant to other therapies to improve the odds of survival.
Immunotherapy comes in many different forms in cancer therapy. In prostate cancer, the commonly approved immunotherapy is a medication called Provenge.
With Provenge, patients’ white blood cells are drawn from their blood through plasmapheresis. Patients are then exposed to proteins that train their white blood cells to recognize and fight prostate cancer cells and then insert them back into their bodies.
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More Plasma Cells Means a Better Reaction to Treatment
All men with higher levels of plasma cells showed improved cancer-free survival, not only Black men.
Black men tend to have higher plasma cells levels than other demographic groups.
Researchers are developing immunotherapy-based precision medicine trials to determine whether increased levels of plasma cells in prostate cancers from men of all races and ancestry can enhance chances for improved survival.
Testing for plasma cells in prostate cancer may help identify men who benefit from immune-based treatments.
RELATED: Why Do More Black Men Die from Prostate Cancer?
Why is Prostate Cancer in Black Men Generally More Deadly?
Black men in America face higher risks from prostate cancer than other demographic groups.
Age is the greatest risk factor. The incidence of prostate cancer rises as men get older.
African American men are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and have higher mortality rates.
Socioeconomic factors may play a role in why Black men in America are more likely to get prostate cancer and die from it.
Access to healthcare plays a major role in the impact of the disease, the time of diagnosis, and the stage at diagnosis on the Black male population.
Whether a close relative has had prostate cancer is also another risk factor.
