Abstract
BACKGROUND: Men of African ancestry (AA) with prostate cancer suffer from worse outcomes. However, a recent analysis of patients treated with the dendritic cell vaccine sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer suggested that AA patients could have improved outcomes relative to whites. METHODS: We conducted a focused literature review of Medline-indexed articles and clinical trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov. RESULTS: We identify several studies pointing to enrichment of inflammatory cellular infiltrates and cytokine signaling among AA patients with prostate cancer. We outline potential genomic and transcriptomic alterations that may contribute to immunogenicity. Last, we investigate differences in host immunity and vaccine responsiveness that may be enhanced in AA patients. CONCLUSIONS: AA patients with prostate cancer may be enriched for an immunogenic phenotype. Dedicated studies are needed to better understand the immune mechanisms that contribute to existing cancer disparities and test immune-based therapies in this population.