Leading organization for prostate cancer research aims to reduce Black disparities through screening, early detection, and disease awareness
LOS ANGELES, Calif., January 11, 2023 – In its ongoing work to address health disparities for Black men related to prostate cancer, the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced it is convening a panel of experts to establish and elevate guidelines for screening, diagnosis and treatment for Black men in the United States.
Research shows that Black men are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer (one in six Black men), at a younger age, and with more aggressive disease than white men, and they are twice as likely to die from it.1 Recent findings demonstrate that after years of declining incidence, there is a rise in prostate cancer diagnoses, particularly in Black men.2 Especially concerning is the marked increase in rates of regional and distant-stage prostate cancer at the time of diagnosis—the forms which have the most potential to be lethal irrespective of advances in treatment. The use of PSA screening since the 1990s contributed to a dramatic reduction in mortality from prostate cancer across all populations, including Black men. Recently, the steep declines in prostate cancer mortality previously seen have begun to level off.2
Current published guidelines differ in their guidance about when and whom to screen for prostate cancer.3 Screening guidelines consistently recommend that physicians weigh risk vs benefit in the decision when and whether to screen commonly based upon age (generally 55-69). However, the increased risk for Black men is rarely explicitly mentioned. In 2012, the USPSTF recommended against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer.4 Subsequently, screening frequency declined among all populations, with greater decreases in screening among Black men.5
PCF has determined after reviewing the literature and existing guidelines that there is an unmet need for guidelines specifically for prostate cancer in Black men. PCF is convening a panel of experts in the social determinants of health, racial disparities, epidemiology, and the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer; members will be named later in January. “This panel will address ways we can reduce death and suffering from the disease in this underserved population,” says PCF President and CEO Charles J. Ryan, M.D. “The thought leaders we convene will give Black men and their doctors evidence-based guidelines from which to make shared decisions about screening for prostate cancer.”
PCF will share this information widely among Black men and their families as well as clinicians through its many communications channels including pcf.org and our partner site Urotoday.com, patient webinars, informational videos, social media, patient guides, and other platforms.
1 Lillard JW, Moses KA, Mahal BA, et al. Cancer 2022;128:3787-3795.
2 Schafer EJ, Jemal A, Wiese D, et al. Eur Urol (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2022.11.023
3 Jain MA, Leslie SW, Sapra A. Prostate Cancer Screening. [Updated 2022 Nov 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet].
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556081/
4 USPSTF Final Recommendation Statement [May 15, 2012] https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prostate-cancer-screening-2012
5 Kensler KH, Perner CH, Mahal BA, et al. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst (2021) 113(6): djaa171
About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has been responsible for raising close to $1 billion in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 245 leading cancer centers in 28 countries around the world. Since PCF’s inception, and through its efforts, patients around the world are living longer, suffering fewer complications, and enjoying better quality of life. PCF is committed to creating a global public square for prostate cancer, in service to our mission of ending death and suffering from the disease. Learn more at pcf.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Staci L. Vernick
Prostate Cancer Foundation
[email protected]
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610-812-6092