Research published in the journal Cancer Research Communications demonstrates racial disparities in genomic testing among certain cancer patients.
The study team, which included DPHS faculty Clare Meernik, PhD, Devon Check, PhD, Hayden Bosworth, PhD, and Tomi Akinyemiju, PhD, analyzed data from 3,461 patients diagnosed with stage IV breast, colorectal, non-small cell lung, or prostate cancer between 2014 and 2019 at Duke Cancer Institute.
Non-Hispanic Black patients with prostate cancer were significantly less likely to receive genomic testing compared to non-Hispanic White patients across the study period. Similar disparities were observed among Black patients with breast cancer diagnosed between 2014-2016, though this gap narrowed in later years.
No racial differences in testing were found among patients with colorectal or non-small cell lung cancer. About 45% of patients received tumor-specific genomic testing during the study period.
The team noted that the lesser use of tumor-specific genomic testing among non-Hispanic Black cancer patients should serve as a call to action for clinicians, research scientists, and policymakers to better understand and address the multitude of factors that likely contribute to such disparities.
To read the article, please visit the journal's website here.