Cancer in Africa: Is It a Genetic or Environmental Health Problem?

Abstract

Patients of African ancestry have the poorest outcome and the shortest survival rates from cancer globally. This could be attributed to many variables including racial, biological, socioeconomic and sociocultural factors (either single, multiple or combined), which may be responsible for this major health problem. We sought to assess the most common types of cancer that endanger the health of the African people, and tried to investigate the real differences between African and other Non-African patients regarding incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of different cancers. Therefore, identifying the underlying aetiological causes responsible for the increased incidence and mortality rates of African patients will allow for changing the current plans, to make optimized modalities for proper screening, diagnosis and treatment for those African patients, in order to improve their survival and outcomes.

Recent selection is a major force driving cancer evolution

“…This gives a good explaination why the South Asian population usually has low cancer incidence rate (Tran et al 2018). Our findings that varied cancer driver genes are under different selection pressures in different populations can thus help explain geographical disparities of cancer incidence rates, although other factors such as environmental conditions and living styles are also important (Bahnassy et al 2020). These results again, suggest that recent positive selection is a major force driving the evolution of cancer in humans.…”

Management of lung cancer in Africa: Underdiagnosis and poor access to treatment – A close look at Nigeria and West African Sub-region

“…[22,29] Most of the extrapolations for lung cancer risk factors for the African population are based on studies conducted among black sub-populations resident in western countries. [13,[30][31][32][33] The many genetic and environmental factors that are associated with increased susceptibility to lung malignancy include but are not limited to tobacco, exposure to outdoor air pollution, diets, and pre-existing lung disease. [13,34,35] Furthermore, these risks were observed to have ethnic and racial predilections.…”

“…[35,36] In Africa, there is evidence of regional disparities in available literatures on risk factors for lung malignancy. [22,30,33] However, recent genealogical susceptibility studies conducted outside Africa [31,32,37,38] among people of African descent, to determine genetic ancestry and atavism contributing to higher lung malignancy prevalence and poorer outcome and survivorship, examined mutations, and alterations of angiogenic pathway genes such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) receptor; both of which are commonly associated with higher risk of lung cancer development and poorer prognosis as well as other commonly reviewed lung cancer receptor genes such as tyrosine kinase/Ras/Raf pathway and KRAS; but found no definite or significant association especially among Africans of West African ancestry. Majority of indigenous African genetic susceptibility studies on lung cancer have origins in North Africa with a few from South Africa and none from Nigeria and the rest of West Africa.…”

Plants Used for the Traditional Management of Cancer in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa: A Review of Ethnobotanical Surveys, Ethnopharmacological Studies and Active Phytochemicals

“…Globally, Australia tops the list of countries with the highest number of cancer rates, followed by New Zealand and Ireland [ 7 ]. Recently, studies have found that developing countries, in particular those in Africa, are facing an increasing incidence of cancer [ 8 ]. This is attributed to the aging and growth of the population as well as increased occurrence of risk factors linked with economic transition, including physical inactivity, obesity, reproductive behaviors and smoking [ 8 ].…”

“…Recently, studies have found that developing countries, in particular those in Africa, are facing an increasing incidence of cancer [ 8 ]. This is attributed to the aging and growth of the population as well as increased occurrence of risk factors linked with economic transition, including physical inactivity, obesity, reproductive behaviors and smoking [ 8 ]. In South Africa, there were about 108,168 new cancer cases and 56,802 deaths in 2020 among all ages [ 9 ].…”