Infectious Agents and Cancer is an open access journal dedicated to publishing insights on the association between chronic infections and cancer. The journal’s scope covers all areas of biomedical research related to the development of preventive strategies, innovative diagnostic and biomolecular methodologies and promising therapeutic strategies for treating chronic infections and cancer. Infectious Agents and Cancer aims to serve as an international platform to showcase research and resources for cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.

Infectious Agents and Cancer

Background
Few national registries exist in the Caribbean, resulting in limited cancer statistics being available for the region. Therefore, estimates are frequently based on the extrapolation of mortality data submitted to the World Health Organization. Thus, regional cancer surveillance and research need promoting, and their synergy must be strengthened. However, differences between countries outweigh similarities, hampering registration and availability of data.

/pdf/advancing-cancer-control-through-research-and-cancer-3rytud9w3v.pdf

Advancing Cancer Control Through Research and Cancer Registry Collaborations in the Caribbean.

Sex-workers have an increased risk for high-risk HPV(hrHPV) cervical cancer. On Curacao, legal and illegal prostitution practice is high and the promiscuous lifestyle is common. We aimed to gain insight in HPV-genotype prevalence in cervical scrapes of female sex workers (FSW) and related risk factors in comparison with women not working in the sex industry. Cervical samples were taken from 76 FSW and 228 non-FSW (NFSW) age matched controls in the period between 2013 and 2015. HPV was detected by GP5+/6+ PCR-EIA followed by genotyping via reverse line-blot. HPV prevalence in FSWs was 25.0% and in NFSWs 29.4% (p = 0.14). NFSW had more often untypable HPV-genotypes (HPV–X:5.3% vs 0.0%; p = 0.042). A trend for statistical difference was observed in HPV prevalence between FSWs from Dominican Republic (42.1%) and FSWs from Colombia (19.2%; p = 0.067). Young age was the only risk factor related to HPV prevalence in FSWs. (Mean age FSW 29.2 y ±7.8 and NFSW 33 y ±6.2) Smoking and drugs consumption were significantly higher among FSW. A significant higher number of women with history of any STD was reported by NFSWs. In addition, >90% of FSW had their previous Pap smear 35% NFSW never had a previous Pap smear (p < 0.001).In conclusion: no significant difference in HPV prevalence is observed between FSW and NFSW. HPV prevalence in FSW was associated with a lower age. During interviews, FSW seemed more aware about prevention strategies, reported less history of STD's and were more updated with cervical cancer screening, compared to NFSWs.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) types prevalence in cervical samples of female sex-workers on Curaçao.

The AC3 contributors to this Special Issue present scientific achievements and milestones in collaborative cancer research. Articles span topics in areas of screening and cancer control, cancer surveillance (trends in incidence and mortality), treatment outcomes and cancer risk factors in the African Diaspora. As editors, we underscore the undue burden of cancer among peoples of the African Diaspora. People of African Ancestry living in the US and Europe have the highest overall cancer incidence and mortality compared to other racial/ethnic groups16. Similarly people of African ancestry in the Caribbean and Latin American experience some of the highest cancer incidence and mortality worldwide20,21. Additionally, Africans in Africa suffer the greatest cancer-related mortality in the world20,22. Emerging evidence suggest multilevel factors associated with poorer outcomes including genetics, inherited precocious oncogenes, epigenetics, environmental carcinogen, and behavioral factors. Newer studies are now pointing to the oncogenic role of society including poverty, marginalized social status, and healthcare systems and providers including disparate access to and quality of care.

Yet, we are hopeful that this Special Issue will attract much needed attention to the cancer plight of peoples of African ancestry. Addressing the African ancestry oncogenic phenomenon—more aggressive with successful metastatic features-- may provide novel keys to the cancer cure for all. Our AC3 leaders have identified practical research opportunities including use of mobile technology, the urgency of primary prevention practices including healthful, plant-based eating, reducing sugars and animal fats, uptake of HBV and HPV vaccines.

Many Caribbean and African nations have yet to establish national cancer registries. The dictum that you can’t manage what you can’t measure is the proverbial message in reporting national cancer incidences and mortalities in these regions. The articles in this Special Issue identify the need to document occurrence, treatment and outcomes to provide reliable data and direct targeted interventions; national as opposed to hospital-based cancer registries remains a major hurdle. In some instances, the ethnicity reflect low prevalence and possibly different cancer biology. In low resource countries, prudence is paramount and data accuracy cannot be overemphasized.

Clearly more global industry/private, and government/public partnership funding are required. Also critically important, is the training and grooming of researchers who are well prepared with access to adequate facilities to conduct rigorous science, clinicians who provide the best available timely treatments delivered with care, policy makers who will take up the call for population health and quality care, and advocates readied to lead in creating and protecting healthy communities. The disparate cancer landscape of the African Diaspora warrants urgent scientific studies with actionable, translational deliverables into clinical and community practice. This action to solution approach necessitates increased, team science with clinicians, policy makers and advocate engaged collaborations.

In the new millennium cancer has emerged as a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Low Middle Income countries (LMIC), particularly in countries with populations that are predominantly of African descent. The major advances in curbing the disease burden attained through screening, health prevention and promotion, screening, diagnosis and treatment has eluded most LMIC and technological advances. AC3 has embraced the WHO challenge to curb the high cancer burden by closing the health inequity gap through action on pertinent and relevant social determinants of health. Through our collaborative bench research and population-based initiatives, AC3 seeks to define our genetic risk factors, better the awareness and educational programs, and with emphasis on earlier detection and treatment, improve the health experience and outcomes in our populations of African ancestry. In the first ten years of our existence, we defined our values and mission and we established and fortified our linkages. This supplement highlights our accomplishments. Thanks to the funding of the NIH and the partnerships that AC3 has cemented at the national, regional and national levels, we looked forward to advance the health of people of African ancestry in the next decade, and with great optimism.

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Cancer in populations of African Ancestry: studies of the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium

This is a brief summary of the 4th International Meeting of the African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium (AC3), organized and sponsored by Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC), and held on July 21–22, 2012 at the Lincoln University Graduate Center, Lincoln Plaza, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AC3 investigators gathered in Philadelphia, PA to present the results of our ongoing collaborative research efforts throughout the African Diaspora. The general theme addressed cancer health disparities and presentations represented all cancer types. However, there was particular emphasis on women’s cancers, related to human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections.

/pdf/the-4th-bi-annual-international-african-caribbean-cancer-2ryt8dv8zw.pdf

The 4th Bi-annual international African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium conference: building capacity to address cancer health disparities in populations of African descent

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The 4th Bi-annual international African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium conference: building capacity to address cancer health disparities in populations of African descent