April 16, 2007
Genetic Link to Disparities
From Reuters:
Racial disparity in cancer rates and outcomes may be driven by genetics as well as socioeconomic factors, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.
Minorities are much more likely to develop and die from cancer than the general U.S. population, with previous research pointing to lack of health insurance, poverty, cultural barriers, and limited access to good medical care as causes.
"What is emerging now is a science of health disparities -- biological factors, genetic factors that can enhance the aggressiveness of cancer are being documented," said Carlos Casiano, a professor in microbiology and molecular genetics at Loma Linda University in California.
Full report at the American Association for Cancer Research.