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The Diverse Landscape of Cancer Genomics in Africa

lssue 2, Volume 4
Part of Special Issue Genetic and Cultural Identity in 21st Century
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The Diverse Landscape of Cancer Genomics in Africa

Karla Christina Sousa Silva 1 Chiara Lea Manon Foret 1 Martha Wium 1 Maria Stella Zerbini 2 Stefano Cacciatore 3 Lara Donaldson 4 Luiz Fernando Zerbini 1,*

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1
Cancer Genomics, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa
2
Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
3
Bioinformatics, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa
4
Plant Systems Biology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town 7925, South Africa
*
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Received: 21 February 2026 Revised: 17 April 2026 Accepted: 24 April 2026 Published: 14 May 2026

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© 2026 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Nat. Anthropol. 2026, 4(2), 10008; DOI: 10.70322/natanthropol.2026.10008
ABSTRACT: Africa harbors unparalleled genetic and cultural diversity. Yet, despite cancer being a major global non-communicable disease, African populations, particularly Indigenous groups, remain remarkably underrepresented in cancer genomics research. This review examines the current landscape of cancer genomics studies across Africa, with emphasis on population diversity and the extent to which Indigenous populations have been included. The genetic heterogeneity across African populations is discussed, and how it can influence cancer susceptibility, tumor biology, and therapeutic response, underscoring the fact that findings from non-African cohorts may not have the same significance in African cohorts. A substantial knowledge gap persists, and expanding studies in Africa could significantly provide valuable insights for global cancer biology. These factors emphasize the urgency of an African-based and African-owned biobanking infrastructure to support equitable research, strengthen local capacity and ethical stewardship of genomic resources towards the promotion of precision oncology and health equity on the continent.
Keywords: Cancer genomics; Africa; Indigenous populations; Cancer biology; Precision oncology;
Health equity

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