ASO Author Reflections: Decoding Racial Differences in Colon Cancer Transcriptomes

Despite significant advancements in colon cancer treatment, Black patients continue to experience worse outcomes compared with white patients across all disease stages, even when socioeconomic and access-to-care factors are accounted for.¹ This persistent disparity suggests the influence of underlying biological differences contributing to more aggressive tumor behavior in Black patients. To investigate these differences at the molecular level, this study aimed to comprehensively examine the stage-specific gene expression profiles of Black and white patients with colon cancer. Identifying these transcriptomic signatures is critical, as current precision oncology approaches are largely based on data from white populations,² which may overlook the unique, stage-specific gene expression profiles that influence treatment responses and progression mechanisms in Black patients. Our study lays the groundwork for developing more tailored therapies that may help bridge the survival gap between these groups.³ …