Racial and Ethnic Differences in Tumor Microenvironment

The field of oncology has increasingly recognized the significance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in influencing cancer progression and patient outcomes. Recent literature highlights notable differences in the TME across racial and ethnic groups, with Black cancer patients often experiencing poorer prognoses compared to their Caucasian counterparts. These disparities are attributed to a multitude of factors, including genetic and genomic variations, healthcare access disparities, and comorbidities. However, TME differences have emerged as a critical factor influencing these outcomes. For instance, Black patients with breast cancer exhibit a higher presence of immune cells within the tumor, yet many CD8+ T cells are exhausted, leading to an ineffective anti-tumor immune response. Additionally, the TME in these patients is often enriched with immunosuppressive chemokines, promoting the infiltration of immunosuppressive cells like regulatory T cells, which may drive tumor progression. Despite some early research indicating that immune checkpoint inhibitors could improve outcomes for Black patients, current cancer treatments remain largely universal, failing to account for these baseline TME differences. This underscores the urgent need for a deeper understanding of TME variations across racial and ethnic groups to address cancer disparities effectively.

This research topic aims to explore the racial and ethnic differences in the tumor microenvironment and their impact on cancer outcomes. The primary objectives include identifying specific TME characteristics that vary among racial and ethnic groups, understanding how these differences influence patient responses to cancer immunotherapy, and developing strategies to target these variations to improve clinical outcomes. By addressing these questions, the research seeks to bridge the gap in cancer disparities and contribute to the development of personalized cancer treatment approaches.

To gather further insights into the racial and ethnic differences in the tumor microenvironment, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Differences in TME across racial and ethnic groups.
- Racial and ethnic differences in patient response to cancer immunotherapy.
- Approaches to better target racial and ethnic TME differences to improve clinical outcomes and bridge cancer disparities.

Topic editor Dr. Shipra Gandhi is a consultant for Novartis, AstraZeneca, and Hologic. Dr. Shipra Gandhi received financial support from MedPage Today, Aptitude Health, and OncLive. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.