Higher genetic risk of cancer in the rich than in the poor: Study

A recent research conducted at the University of Helsinki in Finland, examining the association between socio-economic status (SES) and an array of diseases, found that the wealthy, or those privileged enough to enjoy elevated SES, are at a heightened genetic risk of cancer, particularly breast, prostate, and other types of cancer, according to the study, and contrary to any popular belief.

On the other hand, the New York Times reports that those with low socio-economic status are genetically more susceptible to diabetes and arthritis along with depression, alcoholism, and lung cancer.

According to study leader Dr. Fiona Hagenbeek of the university’s Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), the early findings may result in the addition of polygenic risk scores, which are used to calculate a disease’s genetic risk, to screening regimens for specific illnesses. Notably, this study is the first to look for a connection in a staggering 19 prevalent illnesses in high-income nations.

”Understanding that the impact of polygenic scores on disease risk is context-dependent may lead to further stratified screening protocols,” Dr. Hagenbeek told South West News Service.

”For example, in the future, screening protocols for breast cancer may be adapted so that females with a high genetic risk and who are highly educated receive earlier or more frequent screening than females with lower genetic risk or less education,” she said.

About 280,000 Finns, ages 35 to 80, had their genomes, SES, and health data collected for the study by Dr. Hagenbeek’s team. Scholars have observed that prior study have shown the existence of some variations in risk, which is consistent with the current findings.

“Most clinical risk prediction models include basic demographic information such as biological sex and age, recognizing that disease incidence differs between males and females, and is age-dependent,” Dr. Hagenbeek said.

“Acknowledging that such context also matters when incorporating genetic information into healthcare is an important first step. But now, we can show that the genetic prediction of disease risk also depends on an individual’s socio-economic background,” she said.

“So while our genetic information does not change throughout our lifetime, the impact of genetics on disease risk changes as we age or change our circumstances,” the doctor added. Researchers noted that more investigation is necessary to completely comprehend the connections between particular vocations and illness risk. They argued that research needs to be done in lower-income nations as well.

“Our study focused solely on individuals of European ancestry, and it will also be important in the future to see whether our observations concerning the interplay of socioeconomic status and genetics for disease risk are replicated in people of multiple ancestries in higher and lower-income countries,” Dr. Hagenbeek urged.

“As the overall aim of incorporating genetic information into healthcare is to facilitate personalized medicine, we should not treat genetic information as ‘one size fits all‘.

“Rather, we should investigate and then include the circumstances that modify genetic risk when carrying out disease prediction,” she said. The results of the study will be presented on Sunday at the European Society of Human Genetics annual meeting in Berlin, Germany. The results were welcomed by conference chair Professor Alexandre Reymond of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

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