Ouagadougou: Dr. Abdou Azaque Zour©, Senior Research Fellow in Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Genomics at the CNRST Health Research Institute, underscores the critical role of genomics in combating cancer. He advocates for enhancing local capacities and integrating African data into international genomic databases to improve diagnosis and treatment options tailored to the continent's populations.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Dr. Zour© explained the significance of genetics, molecular biology, and genomics in understanding diseases like cancer. Genetics is crucial for identifying hereditary cancer risks, while molecular biology examines the cellular processes leading to the disease. Genomics, offering a comprehensive view of the genome, helps pinpoint genetic alterations that contribute to cancer development, highlighting its nature as a genetic disease driven by accumulated mutations.

Dr. Zour© emphasizes the importance of studying African genetic heritage in cancer research, noting the scarcity of genomic data on Black populations in international databases. This lack of representation affects the effectiveness of diagnostic tests, screenings, and treatments for African populations. He points out that drugs developed without considering African genetic specificities may not work as effectively for these populations.

The consequences of underrepresentation in global genomic databases are significant, as highlighted by Dr. Zour©. The predominance of European, Asian, and American data in these databases leads to a gap in understanding and managing diseases within African populations. This gap is particularly evident in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers like breast and prostate cancer, which tend to be more aggressive and have higher mortality rates in West Africa, potentially due to unique genomic characteristics that remain under-researched.