Racial Differences Seen in Epigenetic Age Acceleration in Childhood Cancer Survivors
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 9, 2024 -- For childhood cancer survivors, there are racial and ethnic disparities in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), which are partially mediated by social determinants of health (SDOH), according to a study published online July 2 in JAMA Network Open.
Cheng Chen, from The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University in Suzhou, China, and colleagues compared non-Hispanic Black to non-Hispanic White survivors of childhood cancer by examining the associations of EAA with cancer treatment exposures and mediating roles of SDOH in a cross-sectional study. Data were included for 1,706 survivors, including 230 and 1,476 non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White survivors, respectively.
The researchers found that EAA was significantly greater among non-Hispanic Black versus non-Hispanic White survivors (adjusted least-square means [ALSM], 1.41 and 0.47, respectively). Among non-Hispanic Black survivors, EAA was significantly increased among those exposed versus unexposed to chest radiotherapy (ALSM, 2.82 versus 0.46); among those exposed versus unexposed to alkylating agents (ALSM, 2.33 versus 0.95); and among those exposed versus unexposed to epipodophyllotoxins (ALSM, 2.83 versus 0.44). The association with epipodophyllotoxins differed by race and ethnicity (β, 2.39 and 0.68 years for non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White survivors, respectively). Educational attainment and socioeconomic area deprivation index mediated racial and ethnic disparities in EAA (mediation, 22.71 and 22.16 percent, respectively).
"This finding suggests that changes in the social support system at both the personal and community levels may mitigate socioeconomic disadvantages that may contribute to the development of an aging phenotype," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Advanced Biological Age Linked to Increased Risk for Incident Dementia
FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 -- Advanced biological age (BA) may be a risk factor for incident dementia, according to a study published online April 30 in Neurology. Yacong Bo, Ph.D...
Exposure to Smoke Pollution Ups Risk for Hospitalization for Respiratory Disease
FRIDAY, May 2, 2025 -- For older adults in the Western United States, exposure to high levels of smoke pollution is associated with an increase in hospitalizations for respiratory...
Exercise Helps Reduce Side Effects From Cancer Treatment
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- Exercise mitigates adverse outcomes associated with cancer and its treatments, according to a review published online April 29 in the British Journal...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.