Androgen metabolism genes in prostate cancer health disparities

For men in the United States, prostate cancer is common, and newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer outnumber those of all other cancer types. For prostate cancer, there are racial disparities between Caucasian Americans and African Americans. Androgens and androgen metabolism may be involved in these disparities as well as in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. Here, we analyzed, in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the mRNA expression of genes involved in androgen metabolism in prostate cancer based on the patient's race. The results revealed that expressions of UGT2B15 and CYP3A5 are higher but that SRD5A2, CYP17A1, HSD3B2, and AKR1C3 are lower in African American prostate cancers than in those of Caucasian Americans. These genes may relate to the racial disparities associated with prostate cancer. However, the evidence require validation and functional analysis.