Black Men Are At A Higher Risk For Prostate Cancer

By Nathan Ritchie

All men should be concerned about prostate cancer, particularly as they age. Regular screening starting at age 50 is recommended for men who are at an average risk of developing prostate cancer. But if you have one or more risk factors and are at an increased risk of developing prostate cancer, early screening is especially important.

Men of African-American descent are at a significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer than white men. Among black men, 19 percent — nearly one in five — will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and five percent of those will die from this disease. In fact, prostate cancer is the fourth most common reason overall for death in African-American men.

Prostate Cancer in African-American Men: How Much Greater Is the Risk?
Researchers aren’t exactly sure of the reasons why black men are at an increased risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer. “Unfortunately, right now we really don’t know why African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer. We know that they are more likely to die from prostate cancer in part because of delayed diagnosis and in part because of limits in access to treatment,” says Durado Brooks, MD, director of prostate and colorectal cancer at the American Cancer Society. A number of studies are under way in an attempt to better understand the causes.

And while African-American men are already at an increased risk for prostate cancer, their risk increases dramatically if there is a family history of prostate cancer. African-American men with an immediate family member who had prostate cancer have a one in three chance of developing the disease. Their risk rises to 83 percent with two immediate family members having the disease, and skyrockets to 97 percent if they have three immediate family members who developed prostate cancer.

Early Prostate Cancer Screening: Why It’s So Important
Early prostate cancer screening is important because by the time that symptoms appear, the cancer is likely in an advanced stage. The earlier the prostate cancer is caught — before symptoms appear — the better the chances for recovery.

Prostate cancer is highly treatable when caught early. “Almost 100 percent of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer in its earliest stage will be alive five years later. Men need to understand that there is something that can be done about this disease,” notes Dr. Brooks.

Prostate Cancer Screening for African-American Men
Regular screening is important for all men at the age when prostate cancer becomes more likely. But for black men, routine prostate cancer screening should start at an even younger age. The American Cancer Society recommends that African-American men discuss testing with their doctor at age 45, or at age 40 if they have several close relatives who have had prostate cancer before age 65.

Screening tests can include a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and/or a digital rectal exam (DRE). Both tests can be usually be done by your family doctor. A digital rectal exam is a quick and only mildly uncomfortable exam of your prostate. Your doctor will use a lubricated, gloved finger to gently feel the surface of your prostate gland for lumps or other abnormalities.

In addition to recognizing the need for early screening, says Brooks, African-American men should be aware of the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer. These symptoms can include urinating in middle of the night, needing to urinate more frequently, and feeling like the bladder doesn’t completely empty. Blood in the urine may also be a sign of prostate cancer.

Brooks notes that it is important for black men to talk to their doctor about diagnostic testing for prostate cancer if they are experiencing any of these symptoms. African-American men also “need to have a discussion with their doctor about the benefits and limitations of screening for early prostate cancer detection. Not ignoring symptoms and being aware that finding the disease and treating it early has very good outcomes are the two main things that we need to get African-American men to be aware of and to address,” says Brooks.

Minority Cancer Awareness: Everyday Steps To Help Lower Your Risk Read More Every April the American Cancer Society and other organizations work together to raise awareness about cancer among minorities in honor of National Minority Health Month and National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, celebrated this year April 15-21.

Breast Cancer Death Rates Higher for Black Women Read More Black breast cancer patients are more likely to die than white patients, regardless of the type of cancer, according to a new study.

Hair Loss and Men’s Health – Prostate Cancer Read More In a brand new study from the University of Pennsylvania, researchers were able to make a connection between baldness and increased risk of prostate cancer among African-American men.

Black Breast Cancer Survivors Face Higher Heart Failure Risk Read More Black breast cancer survivors seem more likely to develop heart failure than other women, a new study says.

Cancer Rates Dropping Among Black Americans Read More A new report finds that cancer rates among blacks in the United States are on the decline, especially among black men, and the improvement may have saved almost 200,000 people from dying of the disease since the early 1990s.

Video Showcase – Steve Harvey Undergoes A Colonoscopy Read More Steve Harvey creates a video chronicling his colonoscopy experience to inform African American men and women that cancer is not a death sentence and can be prevented or cured if caught early.

African American Men And Prostate Cancer: Be Your Own Advocate And Understand Screening Read More For reasons that are still unknown, African American men are more likely to get prostate cancer than men from other racial/ethnic groups. They are also twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as other men.

Cancer Fact Or Fiction: Separating Myths From Good Information Read More To many, cancer remains one of the most frightening diagnoses in modern medicine. But much of this fear is a result of myths that have circulated for years in spite of the good information that is available.

Genetic Link To Prostate Cancer Found In Europeans, African-Americans Read More African-American and European men have an increased risk of prostate cancer due to changes in one of their immune system genes, claims a new study published online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Racial Disparities Still Seen In Use Of Breast Cancer Treatments Read More Black women with breast cancer are less likely than their white peers to benefit from improved surgical techniques used to treat their disease, according to a new study.

Oprah Winfrey Reveals Breast Cancer Scare Read More The media queen took the stage in mid-October at an annual conference in Los Angeles for O, The Oprah Magazine, and revealed to more than 5,000 fans that the week before she had thought she might have breast cancer.

Black Women Have Higher Death Rates From Breast Cancer Than Other Women Read More Breast cancer deaths are going down the fastest among white women compared to women of other races and ethnicities. Black women have the highest death rates of all racial and ethnic groups and are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women.

Black Breast Cancer Patients May Have Higher Death Risk in First 3 Years Read More Black women with breast cancer are much more likely to die within three years of diagnosis than white women with the disease, researchers have found.

Aspirin May Fight Some Colon Cancers Read More One of the world’s oldest and cheapest drugs is showing promise in fighting cancer. A new study has shown patients who regularly took aspirin lived longer than those who didn’t. These individuals had a mutation in a gene that’s thought to play a role in colon cancer.

Race, Income Tied To Late Colon Cancer Diagnoses Read More A study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas also revealed that blacks and those in high-poverty areas are more likely than others to be diagnosed with colon cancer in an emergency situation. The researchers noted when cancer diagnoses are delayed until an emergency arises, the risk for complications and death increases.

New Wonder Bra That Can Detect Cancer In Its Early Stages Read More The makers of the First Warning Systems bra claim it can detect cancer in its earliest stages by continually monitoring the breasts for temperature changes associated with growing tumors.

Multivitamins May Lower Cancer Risk In Men, Study Suggests Read More A new study has found multivitamins modestly lowered the risk of cancer in healthy male doctors who took them for more than a decade.

Breast Cancer: New Findings Could Lead To More Effective Treatments Read More The new finding offers hints that one type of breast cancer might be vulnerable to drugs that already work against ovarian cancer.

Radiation May Spike Up Breast Cancer Risk Read More Mammograms aimed at finding breast cancer might actually raise the chances of developing it in young women whose genes put them at higher risk for the disease, a study by leading European cancer agencies suggests.

Race May Affect Quality of Prostate Cancer Surgical Care Read More Black prostate cancer patients may receive lower-quality surgical care than white patients, according to a new study.

Race Determines A Patients’ Prostate Surgery Quality Read More Black men needing surgery for advanced prostate cancer seem to have worse outcomes than white men, according to a new study.

Surviving Cancer, Eating Well Read More Moving Forward is a six-month cognitive-behavioral community-based weight loss intervention that was developed in collaboration with AA BC survivors.

Blacks With Throat Cancer Get Harsher Therapy Read More Blacks in the U.S. with throat cancer are more likely than whites to have surgery that leaves them unable to speak than to get gentler voice-preserving treatments, a new study finds.

Colorectal Cancer Is Preventable: Information For African Americans Read More Many people who fear cancer don’t realize that some types of cancer are preventable. Cancer of the colon or rectum (together referred to as colorectal cancer) is one of these.

Health Care Disparities Might Affect Black Kids’ Cancer Survival Read More Equal access to health care would reduce the disparity in survival rates between white and black children with cancer, a new study suggests.

Black Women More Likely To Die Of Breast Cancer Read More More than 1,700 black women die of breast cancer every year in the United States because of racial disparities in cancer risks and access to care, suggests a new study.

U.S. Blacks More Likely To Die Of Colon Cancer Than Whites Read More Although colorectal cancer death rates in the United States have fallen across the board over the last 20 years, the dip has been smaller among blacks than whites, a new study indicates.

Fewer Dying in U.S. From Throat, Mouth Cancer, Study Finds Read More Death rates for U.S. patients with throat and mouth cancers decreased between 1993 and 2007, a new study shows.

Downsides Of Cancer Care Rarely Seen In Black Media Read More Few media stories on cancer venture into issues of death, dying and end-of-life care — and outlets directed at African Americans are particularly unlikely to do so, a new study suggests.

Higher Risk Of Second Breast Cancer Seen In Black Women Read More Black women who develop breast cancer are more likely than white women to suffer a second cancer in the other breast, and those who are diagnosed under age 45 are more likely to get a primary breast cancer of a more aggressive form, new research indicates.

Genes May Explain Blacks’ Bleaker Prostate Cancer Stats Read More Differences in the genetic makeup of prostate cells could explain why black men in the United States are more likely to get prostate cancer and die from it than white men, a new study suggests.

Actor Hill Harper Battling Thyroid Cancer Read More Actor Hill Harper is battling thyroid cancer. Harper says he noticed something was wrong while filming Tyler Perry’s “For Colored Girls” last summer in Atlanta.

Black Women Less Likely To Breast Feed Therefore At Higher Risk For Breast Cancer Read More Black women are more likely to have two or more children and are less likely to breast-feed, putting them at greater risk of developing a difficult-to-treat type of breast cancer, according to a new study.

Life After Prostate Surgery Worse Than Men Expect Read More Nearly half of men who undergo surgery to treat prostate cancer find themselves with greater incontinence problems and less sexual function than they had anticipated, according to a new poll.

Blacks Still Dying More From Cancer Than Whites Read More Breast and colon cancers are deadlier for black women than they are for white women. Blacks also have a worse five-year survival rate than whites for all cancers—57 percent compared to 66 percent, according to the report.

Breast Cancer More Lethal In Blacks, Reason Unknown Read More It is still a mystery why black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than whites, according to a new study that shows the racial disparity can’t be chalked up to obesity differences.

Cancer Disparities Exist Despite Good Insurance Read More Despite having equal access to health care through military health insurance, black women with breast cancer are less likely than white women to receive certain aggressive treatments, according to the findings of a new study.

Skin Cancer: A Fact Of Life In Skin Of Color Read More People of all races and colors get skin cancer. This common cancer develops in people of African, Asian, Latino, and Native American descent. Even Aboriginal Australians have heard the diagnosis, “You have skin cancer.” When skin cancer develops in skin of color, the cancer is more often advanced by the time it is diagnosed. Researchers are not sure why. It could be that the cancer is not recognized until the later stages in skin of color.

Liver Cancer Survival Rates May Be Worse for Blacks Read More Black Americans with early-stage liver cancer are more likely to die of the disease than Asian, Hispanic or white patients, say researchers.

Health Care Gap May Raise Rates Of Colorectal Cancer Death in Blacks Read More Unequal health care may explain why black colorectal cancer patients have a much higher death rate than white patients, a new U.S. study suggests.

8 Natural Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer Read More To prevent breast cancer you need to take action. Otherwise, your odds of getting breast cancer, the disease women fear the most, are 1 in 8.

Black Women Wait Longer For Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment Read More Insured black women and uninsured white women waited more than twice as long to be given a definitive breast cancer diagnosis than insured white women…..

Breast Cancer Stats Differ Racially Despite Similar Mammogram Rates Read More Black women are 30 percent to 90 percent more likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer than white women, researchers report.

African Americans Disproportionately Affected By Lung Cancer Read More Despite similar smoking rates, African Americans are more likely to develop and die from lung cancer than white Americans, according to a new report from the American Lung Association (ALA)…

Are You At Risk For Oral Cancer? What African American Men Need To Know Read More African American men are one of the groups at highest risk for oral cancer but many don’t know it.

Minorities And Colorectal Cancer Read More African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in later stages of the disease. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among both African-American men and women.

Blacks With Cancer More Inclined To Exhaust Funds To Prolong Life Read More White patients with lung or colorectal cancer are less willing than patients of other races or ethnicities to use up their personal financial resources to prolong their life, a new study finds.