Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Department of Immunology, and SAMRC Extramural Unit for Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2021 Feb;66:20-24. doi: 10.1016/j.gde.2020.11.006. Epub 2020 Dec 26.
Developments in genomics in the last decade has improved our understanding of the role of genetics in health and disease. One area where the impact of genomics is very noticeable is in oncology, specifically in terms of diagnosis and elucidating genetic predisposition to rare and common cancers. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) stands to benefit from cancer genomics, given recent spikes in the incidence of various types of cancers in the region. This mini review presents, from a health and science equity perspective, how genomics could shape cancer research and clinical care in SSA. We highlight some pan-African genomics and cancer initiatives that are facilitating cancer genomics research in SSA. We conclude with recommendations on how the ideals of equity may be advanced in cancer genomics initiatives in SSA.
在过去十年中,基因组学的发展提高了我们对遗传学在健康和疾病中的作用的理解。基因组学影响非常明显的一个领域是肿瘤学,特别是在诊断和阐明罕见和常见癌症的遗传易感性方面。鉴于该地区最近各种类型癌症的发病率上升,撒哈拉以南非洲(SSA)将从癌症基因组学中受益。本综述从健康和科学公平的角度出发,介绍了基因组学如何影响 SSA 的癌症研究和临床护理。我们强调了一些泛非基因组学和癌症倡议,这些倡议正在促进 SSA 的癌症基因组学研究。最后,我们就如何在 SSA 的癌症基因组学计划中推进公平理念提出了建议。