Prostate Cancer in African American Men: Early Detection Is Key

In 2022, the American Cancer Society estimated that 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed among Americans, including 5,110 among South Carolinians. Out of every 100 American men, 13 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. However, that risk is higher for some men than others, namely African American men. Rates of prostate cancer in African American men are higher than in other ethnic groups — 1 in 6 will develop the disease.

Why Prostate Cancer Affects African American Men

African American men are at a higher risk of not only developing prostate cancer but also developing it at younger ages, getting diagnosed with more aggressive or advanced forms and dying from it. African American men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than other men.

Although the exact reasons are unclear, genetic factors play a role. For example, healthy African American men have higher levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a protein produced in the prostate, than white men. High PSA levels can suggest cancer.

Social barriers to prostate cancer screenings and even environmental factors, such as air pollution and work-related hazards, may also play a role. Historically, African American men did not have equal access to prostate cancer screenings. That lack of access means that for many men, diagnosis comes only after disruptive symptoms develop, which may not happen until later stages of the disease.

Read More: Difficulty Urinating and Other Signs of Prostate Problems

The Importance of Early Detection

The good news is that prostate cancer outcomes are improving. The five-year survival rate for African American men diagnosed with prostate cancer of any stage is now 97%.

“Thanks to greater awareness about African American men’s increased risk for prostate cancer, their outcomes are improving,” says Dr. Carl Derrick, a board-certified specialist in internal medicine at Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Primary Care. “Early detection with prostate cancer screening has played an important role.”

When prostate cancer is detected early, regardless of a man’s ethnicity, the survival rate increases to 99%. Men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, on the other hand, have a survival rate of only 32%.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men between ages 55 and 69 talk with their medical providers about whether to have prostate cancer screenings and what type of screening is best for them. However, African American men should begin those conversations much earlier, by age 40 or 45.

There are two types of prostate cancer screening — the digital rectal exam, during which a medical provider manually checks the prostate for swelling and abnormalities, and a PSA blood test, which is more common.

Talk with your medical provider about a screening schedule that takes your risk factors into consideration. A screening takes only minutes out of your day, and an early diagnosis through prostate cancer screening may save your life.

Read More: Prostate Cancer Screenings: The Facts

Early Detection = Better Outcomes

Men diagnosed with prostate cancer now have access to a wide range of treatment options to eradicate the cancer and stop its spread. Prostate cancer treatment may include surgery to remove the prostate and internal or external radiation therapy to kill cancerous cells. Other therapies, including chemotherapy, biological treatments and hormone therapy, are also options in some cases or through clinical trials.

However, when cancer is diagnosed early, men may benefit from less intensive treatments. Prostate cancers can grow very slowly, and low-grade prostate cancer is often treated cautiously. Doctors may prefer active surveillance, which involves regular testing to keep an eye on cancer markers such as PSA levels, or watchful waiting, in which no testing is done and symptoms are monitored instead. In both cases, active treatment begins only if the cancer advances and symptoms develop.

The key to finding the right treatment, however, is getting diagnosed early when those treatments are most effective.

“We want to reverse the trend of worse outcomes for cancer in African American men,” Dr. Derrick says. “That starts with ensuring men know about their options for screening, so we can detect the disease early when we have the most options for treatment.”

Can You Prevent Prostate Cancer?

Although African American men are at an increased risk for prostate cancer simply due to their ethnic background, there are steps they can take to decrease developing the disease. Those include:

• Eating a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains and fewer animal products
• Exercising regularly
• Getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night
• Limiting alcohol intake to two (or fewer) drinks a day
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Quitting smoking

“We also encourage men to schedule annual checkups with their primary care providers,” Dr. Derrick says. “Even if those checkups don’t involve prostate cancer screenings, we can still review your lifestyle habits to help make sure you’re doing as much as possible to prevent prostate and other forms of cancer.”

Talk with your primary care provider or urologist about prostate cancer screening. Need a provider? Find one accepting new patients.