The largest-ever study of prostate cancer in men of African descent has provided the first clear explanation for why Black men are more likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it.

The meta-analysis, led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, identified nine new genetic variants that increase the risk of prostate cancer in the understudied population, including a genetic risk score linked to aggressive forms of the disease.

While past studies identified nearly 270 genetic variants linked to prostate cancer risk, this is the first to uncover a clear explanation for the disproportionate risk among Black men. The study was just published in the journal European Urology.

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