Ethnic disparities in ERBB2 amplification among patients with gastric cancer

Overall, gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) incidence rates have declined in recent years, but ethnic disparities persist. Individuals who identify as Hispanic are diagnose with GC at younger ages and have poorer outcomes than non-Hispanic individuals. Assesment of tumor genomic patterns in GC patients in the AACR Project GENIE Consortium found that Hispanic patients presented with significantly higher rates of ERBB2 amplification (13,9%) than patients of other ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White: 9.8%; non-Hispanic Asian: 8.1%; non-Hispanic Black 11.0%; p<0.001). Hispanic patients also had higher odds of ERBB2 amplification versus non-Hispanic Whites in adjusted models (OR 2.52; p=0.015). The authors conclude that these findings underscore the important role of genomic factors in GC disparities.