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Germline alterations among Hispanic men with prostate cancer
Elizabeth Pan1, Justin Shaya1, Lisa Madlensky1
1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases
|March 1, 2022
Summary
Hispanic men with prostate cancer show similar rates of pathogenic germline alterations as non-Hispanic white men. However, variants of uncertain significance were higher in Hispanic men, suggesting undertesting. These findings support germline testing for all prostate cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Oncology
- Population Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline alterations in Hispanic men with prostate cancer.
- Previous studies predominantly focused on non-Hispanic white (NHW) populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of P/LP germline alterations in Hispanic men with prostate cancer.
- To compare germline alteration rates between Hispanic and NHW men.
- To investigate factors associated with germline testing uptake in Hispanic men.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of two cohorts: a multicenter cohort (17,256 men) and a single-center cohort (2018-2020).
- Calculation of P/LP alterations and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) proportions.
- Statistical comparison using Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression.
Main Results:
- P/LP germline alteration rates were similar between Hispanic and NHW men in both cohorts (multicenter: 7.1% vs. 9.7%; single-center: 14.7% vs. 12.2%).
- Significantly higher rates of VUS were observed in Hispanic men compared to NHW men (multicenter: 21.5% vs. 16.6%; single-center: 20.6% vs. 7.2%).
- Lower germline testing uptake was noted in the single-center Hispanic cohort (26.1%).
Conclusions:
- Germline alteration rates are comparable between Hispanic and NHW men with prostate cancer.
- Higher VUS rates in Hispanic men may indicate under-ascertainment due to undertesting.
- Hispanic men with prostate cancer should be considered for germline testing at rates similar to NHW men.
