Are There Any MPN Disparities in Subtypes and Genetics?
Are There Any MPN Disparities in Subtypes and Genetics? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.
Are there any myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) disparities seen in subtypes and genetics? Expert Dr. Idoroenyi Amanam from City of Hope explains what studies have shown, the role of access to care, genetics of African Americans, and questions to ask your doctor.
[ACT]IVATION TIP:
“…if you have a myeloproliferative neoplasm and you have some specific complications, and there are treatment options offered to you, I would ask your provider if there are any differences in outcomes related to if you are a Hispanic woman or if you’re a Black male, or if you’re a Caucasian female, I think it’s important to understand if there are potentially differences in the outcomes related to the treatments, and then you can maybe tailor your treatment specific to your ethnicity and sex.”
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Transcript:
Lisa Hatfield:
Dr. Amanam, can you speak to the disparities seen in MPNs and other subtypes and the role of genetics?
Dr. Indoroenyi Amanam:
Yeah, I think this is a great question, especially in the context of when we think about socioeconomic and racial disparities. I think that it is very important to continue to address those issues. I think the Affordable Care Act assisted in giving wider access to some patients who would not have the opportunity to receive care. But we have to go beyond the idea that race is a social construct. I think there are biologic differences. There are genetic hereditary differences between different groups.
When you look at African Americans and you look at their genes and the median amount of genes of African descent. About half of African Americans have less than 80 percent of genes of African descent, which means that they’re biologically…there are biological differences that are related to their experience here in America and in the Western Hemisphere. And they have a more diverse gene pool, which may contribute or not contribute to cancers and other diseases. Other studies to really understand what are the scientific biologic hereditary differences and how we can improve those outcomes once we understand those. And so for MPNs, we don’t really have a good understanding of that, and I think that’s definitely a space for all of us within this disease for us to really improve upon.
My activation tip for this question would be, if you have a myeloproliferative neoplasm and you have some specific complications, and there are treatment options offered to you, I would ask your provider if there are any differences in outcomes related to if you are a Hispanic woman or if you’re a Black male, or if you’re a Caucasian female, I think it’s important to understand if there are potentially differences in the outcomes related to the treatments, and then you can maybe tailor your treatment specific to your ethnicity and sex.
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