Bringing greater ethnic equality to prostate cancer research

Manchester researchers are at the forefront of uncovering how genetic differences between populations shape prostate cancer risk, progression and treatment response - paving the way for more inclusive, tailored approaches to care.

A global challenge: Black men face greater risk

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men. Despite this higher risk, most research into prostate cancer prevention, detection and treatment has focused on men of European ancestry.

The under-representation of other ethnic groups limits understanding of how and why the disease behaves differently across populations, contributing to persistent inequalities in outcomes.

Manchester solution: improving ethnic equality in cancer research

Researchers at The University of Manchester are helping to close this gap by studying the genetic and environmental factors that drive prostate cancer in diverse populations.

Professor David Wedge, Professor of Cancer Genomics and Data Science, leads an international programme investigating how prostate cancer evolves in men of different ethnicities.

His team has partnered with researchers in Kenya, where prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, to sequence tumour DNA and identify the genetic changes that influence how the disease develops and responds to treatment.

This pioneering genomic study was the first of its kind in this population, and is building a critical evidence base for prostate cancer prevention, detection and treatment in African men.

By comparing tumour samples from men in the UK, Africa and beyond, the researchers are uncovering distinct patterns of genetic mutations that help explain why prostate cancer can be more aggressive in some groups than others.

Their work is increasing understanding of tumour development across populations and informing how future treatments could be better tailored to individuals.

New understanding: uncovering aggressive subtypes

Through large-scale genomic analysis, Manchester researchers and their global collaborators have identified previously unrecognised subtypes of prostate cancer that evolve in different ways. Some of these subtypes are linked to a much more aggressive form of the disease, helping to explain the poorer outcomes often seen in Black men.

These discoveries mark a step change in how scientists understand prostate cancer - showing that the disease does not follow a single pathway, but several distinct evolutionary routes influenced by both inherited genetics and environmental exposure.

This new framework for understanding prostate cancer evolution is now guiding international research into how best to diagnose and treat the disease in diverse populations.

Next phase: linking genetics and environment

Building on these discoveries, the Manchester team has secured £500,000 in new funding from Prostate Cancer Research to study prostate cancer in Black men in Manchester and Jamaica.

Working with Dr Aliah Hawari, Dr Ashwin Sachdeva and partners in Jamaica, the project will compare tumour genetics and environmental influences to understand how these factors combine to shape disease risk and progression.

The study will also strengthen global research partnerships, supporting scientists and clinicians in Africa and the Caribbean to develop new expertise in cancer genomics. By fostering shared learning and collaboration, Manchester is helping to build sustainable capacity for future research that benefits local communities, as well as global science.

Towards personalised treatment for all

Manchester's research is transforming understanding of how prostate cancer develops and why it affects some men more severely than others. By identifying the genetic changes that drive cancer in different populations, researchers are enabling more precise, effective and equitable approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

This inclusive approach to cancer research reflects the University's commitment to precision medicine for all, ensuring that advances in genomic science benefit every patient, regardless of their background or where they live.