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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate Cancer / June 2005Gene linked to U.S. black prostate cancer
SAN FRANCISCO | June 18, 2005 5:13:35 AM IST A tumor-suppressing gene called GSTP1 is inactivated at a rate 3.5 times higher in U.S. blacks than among U.S. Caucasians. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center found the GSTP1 gene is temporarily inactivated, or silenced, through the process of hypermethylation, a chemical process involving four protein bases of the gene's DNA. This could be one of the mechanisms for the higher incidence of prostate cancer in African-Americans compared to Caucasians, said study leader Rajvir Dahiya. When tumor suppression activity goes down, the tumor progresses much faster. African-Americans have almost 1.7 times the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer compared to Caucasians in the United States. The findings are published in the Aug. 20 issue of the International Journal of Cancer, currently available online. knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional "Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc > SAN FRANCISCO | June 18, 2005 5:13:35 AM IST > [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." > http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc It is much more likely that the reason that Afro-Americans have such a high rate of prostate cancer is due to lack of vitamin D (the darker the skin, the less vitamin D that is produced from exposure to the sun). Since Africans do not have an elevated rate of prostate cancer, genetics is very unlikely to be the explanation. However, Africans do live closer to the equator and thus will be producing more vitamin D from the sunlight that they are exposed to. Ed Friedman It is much more likely that the reason that Afro-Americans have such a high rate of prostate cancer is due to lack of vitamin D (the darker the skin, the less vitamin D that is produced from exposure to the sun). Since Africans do not have an elevated rate of prostate cancer, genetics is very unlikely to be the explanation. However, Africans do live closer to the equator and thus will be producing more vitamin D from the sunlight that they are exposed to. Ed Friedman ============= hi ed - i had not heard of anything about the darkness of a person's skin affecting their ability to produce vitamin D. have they done any studies on different cultures, such as the american indian, who have a darker skin or perhaps cultures around the equator such as hawaii to see what levels of vitamin D are produced due to skin tones. in my opinion, i would think that a darker skinned person would produce even more vitamin D because the skin's color as compare to a fair skin person. if they haven't, someone will put in for a grant to study this, i'm sure....... as to the statement - Africans do live closer to the equator and thus will be producing more vitamin D from the sunlight that they are exposed to. wouldn't one have to consider the type of diet one eats, much like in japan where prostate cancer is low and they have a climate similar to the united states. studies have shown that japanese people who adapt to the western ways of eating do increase their chances of getting prostate cancer and also fall into the national averages. ~ curtis knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional "Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc > in my opinion, i would think that a darker skinned person would produce > even more vitamin D because the skin's color as compare to a fair skin > person. if they haven't, someone will put in for a grant to study > this, i'm sure....... Curtis, There are numerous articles on the web stating that the darker the skin, the less vitamin D produced, but here is one for you to check out: http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/28/vitamin.D.ap/ A quote from here says: "Half of black women of childbearing age lack enough vitamin D in their blood during the winter and 30 percent in the summer, according to studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That compares with 11 percent of white women in the winter and 2 percent in the summer. Levels among Hispanics fall in between." Ed Friedman > It is much more likely that the reason that Afro-Americans have such a > high rate of prostate cancer is due to lack of vitamin D (the darker the [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > darker skin or perhaps cultures around the equator such as hawaii to see > what levels of vitamin D are produced due to skin tones. Ed's response petty much covers it. But let me add that melanin, filters out the components of sunlight that produce Vitamin D in the skin. I believe that before the age of dietary supplements that was the main source of Vitamin D in human beings. > in my opinion, i would think that a darker skinned person would produce > even more vitamin D because the skin's color as compare to a fair skin [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so." > http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc |
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