Illuminating cancer health disparities using ethnogenetic layering (EL) and phenotype segregation network analysis (PSNA).

Fatimah L C Jackson

Journal: Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education 2007;21(1 Suppl):S69-79

PMID: 17020506

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Abstract

BACKGROUND

Resolving cancer health disparities continues to befuddle simplistic racial models. The racial groups alluded to in biomedicine, public health, and epidemiology are often profoundly substructured.

METHODS

EL and PSNA are computational assisted techniques that focus on microethnic group (MEG) substructure.

RESULTS

Geographical variations in cancer may be due to differences in MEG ancestry or similar environmental exposures to a recognized carcinogen. Examples include breast and prostate cancers in the Chesapeake Bay region and Bight of Biafra biological ancestry, hypertension and stroke in the Carolina Coast region and Central African biological ancestry, and pancreatic cancer in the Mississippi Delta region and dietary/medicinal exposure to safrol from Sassafras albidum.

Address: Department of Anthropology, Genomic Models Research Group, Biological Anthropology Research Laboratory, MD 20742, USA. [email protected]

DOI: 10.1207/s15430154jce2101s_13

MeSH Terms: Cultural Diversity, Ethnicity, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Indians, North American, Mid-Atlantic Region, Mississippi, Neoplasms, Phenotype, Prejudice, Racial Groups, Southeastern United States