Addressing the Prostate Cancer Health Disparity in Black Men
By Christopher Cheney
Socioeconomic and genetic factors are the primary reasons for a health disparity in prostate cancer among Black men, according to the CMO of Envita Medical Centers.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer, the cancer society says.
“With Black men and prostate cancer, Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease and two times more likely to die from prostate cancer compared to other men,” says John Oertle, NMD, CMO of Envita Medical Centers in Scottsdale, Ariz. “They also have a higher likelihood of having a more aggressive form of prostate cancer.”
Socioeconomic factors play a role in the health disparity, according to Oertle.
“Black men do not screen as regularly for prostate cancer than other men, and there is a financial component to this screening disparity—they don’t have the resources to access screening,” Oertle says.
Genetics also impact the health disparity, Oertle explains.
Health systems, hospitals, physician groups and CMOs should take steps to address the prostate cancer health disparity among Black men, according to Oertle.
“We need to have better advocacy and education in Black communities,” Oertle says. “We also need to screen Black men sooner. Black men should start screening for prostate cancer at 40 years old. The screening should include a physical exam and blood work including Prostate-Specific Antigen testing.”
Healthcare providers must also tackle the relatively high mortality rate among Black men with prostate cancer, Oertle explains.
“Healthcare providers such as health systems, primary care doctors, and urologists that do screening for prostate cancer also need to understand the increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer among Black men,” Oertle says. “That message needs to be understood more frequently.”
For most men with prostate cancer, they will die from another disease such as cardiovascular disease before they die of prostate cancer. Most prostate cancers are slow-growing, and they do not readily metastasize to different sites in the body.
However, the experience of Black men with prostate cancer is different, according to Oertle.
“It can go from Stage 1 and quickly advance to metastasis,” Oertle says. “When it metastasizes, you have an out-of-control disease, which leads to mortality. We need to be aware, and we need to treat Black men more aggressively when prostate cancer is diagnosed.”