FACT SHEET: Prostate Cancer In The African American Community

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst men in the US. While this terrible disease is not exclusive to any one race; it is, however, more prevalent in black men and so is the death rate from it. One in four men black men will get prostate cancer within their lifetime, that is quite a high number. It is even more alarming when you compare those numbers to other demographics. Only 1 in 7 men of all other races will get prostate cancer. When you think about the fact that black men have twice the risk of being diagnosed than white males, and three times that of Asians, it makes one wonder why these stats are so high.

Causes

Once diagnosed with prostate cancer, many black males may ask what they could’ve done differently or what factors led to them being diagnosed. Black men do have nearly 150% greater risk of dying from prostate cancer than any other. That can be a sobering realization when 44% of prostate cancer deaths are from black men which make up only 13% of the population. The bad news is this is mostly due to genetic differences in black men but there is good news. While black men cannot affect the risk of getting prostate cancer they can affect whether they die from it or not.

What Can You Do?

The main reason men die from prostate cancer is due to lack of action and early detection. Before PSA screenings developed in the 90’s, black men diagnosed with prostate cancer died at a rate of nearly 40 percent! However with PSA protocols in place, since the late 90’s the death rate is now down to just 10 percent! You can’t choose your race or your parents, but you can choose to be on top of your health and get screened for prostate cancer once a year once you reach 40. Early detection is the only way you can mitigate the impact this disease has on you. Information is power and with this information, you can indeed survive prostate cancer.

Spread The Word

The easiest way to let others in your circle know is to simply have a candid talk about prostate cancer. There is no room for being “manly” and thinking it will just go away. There is no sense in ignoring screenings, and PSA tests when these tests can be the difference between surviving prostate cancer and dying from it. Early detection is the key to saving your life and being proactive about your health is a best practice that will always benefit you.

If you feel you might have a problem with your prostate that needs the attention of a professional then you need to call Dr. Cornell to schedule a screening. With proper detection from Dr. Cornell, you greatly increase your chances of survival and living a healthy long life. All it takes is to contact our offices and schedule an appointment to get started.