There are more than 3 million men in the U.S. living with prostate cancer, and, on average, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed in their lifetime. However, there are significant racial disparities. For Black men, 1 in 6 will develop prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die from the disease. The good news is that the disease is highly treatable when detected early. Men who are diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer have a 99% 5-year survival rate.

Learn more about PCF's screening guidelines for Black men in the U.S. here.

What you can do:

Talk to your family about cancer risk. These should be open conversations, not deep family secrets. Because cancer can be passed down through families, that’s how you keep your kids safe. Start the conversation.
Get screened. If you are Black or have a family history of prostate or other cancers, start talking to your doctor about PSA screening at age 40.
Take charge. We can’t fix all of these problems overnight, but you can still take actions that have effects right now: Get our wellness guide, exercise, and eat a plant-centric diet.
Be an advocate for yourself in discussions of prostate cancer screening or treatment. Get the PCF Prostate Cancer Patient Guide to empower yourself with knowledge.If you are a patient with aggressive prostate cancer, consider getting two types of advanced testing: biomarker testing of your tumor to potentially identify precision treatment, and genetic testing for inherited mutations.
Consider enrolling in a clinical trial or research registry. Trials help doctors understand how new and existing treatments work in diverse populations, benefiting future patients. The “placebo” group generally gets at least the best standard of care, not “no treatment.” There are also many studies that simply observe you and collect data over time. Researchers take many precautions to keep your information secure. Talk to your doctor about participating in a study. Learn more about the Respond Study.
Join a PCF Facebook support group to access a community of people with a similar diagnosis to share knowledge, encouragement, and emotional comfort. PCF has several private, moderated support groups on Facebook for different interests.