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Disparities in Uterine Serous Carcinoma Tumors Highlighted in New Study
Research suggests that “uterine serous carcinoma (USC) tumors in Black patients express more aggressive and immunosuppressive features than tumors in white patients” according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Julie Kim, PhD, highlights the potential for targeted therapeutic strategies to address disparities in patient outcomes based on new findings in an article by Northwestern Medicine. The impact of environment, behavior, and societal stressors on physical and psychological health is emphasized. USC is a rare and aggressive type of endometrial cancer that disproportionately affects Black women and previous research has shown differences in cancer driver mutations between Black and white patients.
In a recent study, scientists conducted single-nuclei RNA sequencing on USC tumor samples from 4 white and 9 Black patients to determine the molecular and genomic differences between the 2 groups. Due to the rare nature of these tumors, the researchers had to rely on established tumor banks to obtain the necessary samples for analysis. The findings revealed that USC tumors from Black patients showed elevated expression of genes linked to tumor aggressiveness, including PAX8, which is commonly upregulated in other types of endometrial and ovarian cancers, compared to tumors from white patients.
The authors found that patients with tumors showing high PAX8 expression had poorer overall survival than those with low PAX8 expression. PAX8 was also found to affect the activity of macrophages within the tumor environment, particularly in Black patients, suppressing immune responses.
The study emphasizes the significance of targeting PAX8 in USC patients, especially among Black individuals, for potential therapeutic interventions. Future research includes replicating the findings in a larger patient group and exploring drug options to enhance the immune response in tumors with high PAX8 expression.
Reference
Rohman M. Study Identifies Racial Differences in Rare Endometrial Cancer. Northwestern Medicine. Published August 15, 2024. Accessed September 24, 2024. https://news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2024/08/15/study-identifies-racial-differences-in-rare-endometrial-cancer/
