Germline, Environmental, Social, and Structural (GEMS)

Determinants of Lethal Prostate Cancer in Black Men

We lack evidence to help clinicians, researchers, and patients understand how inherited and acquired biology interact with tumor characteristics and integrate with care delivery to drive racial inequities in prostate cancer outcomes. This is due to the historical exclusion of Black men from clinical trials and studies, which is further compounded by a history of medical experimentation and abuse. These factors drive distrust around medical research, especially that which includes tissue donation.

Patient-and community-centered efforts are needed to facilitate the design and establishment of robust biospecimen-based epidemiologic cohorts to address shared questions around the origin and drivers of prostate cancer risk and adverse outcomes among Black men.

This study uses a cross-disciplinary approach to understand the science of biologic, environmental, and social/structural exposures on prostate cancer risk from a microscopic (i.e., genetic and genomic) to macroscopic (i.e., health services and health economic) level. No studies have comprehensively examined the underlying factors contributing to prostate cancer risk for Black men, nor have existing biologic cohorts enrolled sufficiently representative samples to be able to address these questions.  

In this study, are collaborating with our community partners to identify equity-based, culturally-sensitive approaches and best practices in constructing a study cohort that meets the needs of Black men and their communities. We will then develop and pilot that cohort. This study will develop critical infrastructure for building and sustaining a novel and patient-centered, longitudinal prostate cancer cohort with a linked biorepository, enabling our team to assess the influences of biologic and non-biologic factors on fatal prostate cancer in Black men and other minoritized populations.

This project was made possible by the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund (award number FY23-POP-02).