When I analyzed tumor samples from 100 Kenyan cancer patients in our laboratory, I expected to find genetic mutations similar to those documented in Western populations. What I discovered instead would challenge decades of medical assumptions. None of these Kenyan cancer patients carried the KRAS G12C mutation, which is found in 3%-15% of Caucasian cancer patients.
This finding represents more than scientific curiosity. It exemplifies a critical fact that cancers diagnosed in African patients may well be different in molecular characteristics than those in Caucasian patients, even when they share the same pathologic diagnosis.
While Africa bears 25% of the global disease burden, only 845 of the 76,331 clinical trials initiated globally in 2023 — just 1.1% — were hosted on the continent. Furthermore, the African clinical trials market, valued at $910 million in 2023, is projected to grow to $1.68 billion by 2032. This growth reflects increasing recognition of Africa's potential in clinical research.
About the author
Dr. Mansoor Saleh
Dr. Mansoor Saleh earned his medical degree from the University of Heidelberg and trained at Henry Ford Hospital and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he led early drug development. His research focuses on targeted cancer therapies. He is currently the founding chair of hematology-oncology at Aga Khan University, Nairobi.
