Voice-over:
Prostate cancer is the second-most-common cause of cancer-related death in American men
over the age of forty-five. And while education and early detection programs can help catch
cancer in its early stages, when it’s easier to treat, not everyone is benefiting.
Voice-over:
Routine prostate screenings for inner-city and underserved blacks may simply not be enough, according to a new University of Florida study. Urban black men referred to U-F cancer specialists were almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with the disease as their white counterparts… and were four times more likely to have advanced disease at diagnosis. In many cases, by the time a test is finally given and comes up positive, malignant cells have already migrated to other parts of the body, dramatically reducing the chance of a cure. Experts say some black men likely need to be screened at a younger age.
Dr. Charles Rosser / UF urologist
“I think our study shows, and it correlates with other studies, that actually African-American men present with more advanced prostate cancer, and thus it would put them at increased risk of ultimately dying from prostate cancer.”
Doctors say men with a family history of prostate cancer and those of African-American descent should begin screenings at age forty-five, while those who are not at high risk should be getting regular checks starting at age fifty. Yet that message is still not getting out, so inner-city men without adequate access to educational resources may not be fully aware of the risks.
Dr. Charles Rosser / UF urologist
“We’re not getting education out there to the patients and because of that, and it’s falling in line with what we found: The patients aren’t being educated, aren’t being screened and are presenting with more advanced disease.”
Voice-over:
At the University of Florida Health Science Center, I’m Mike Garrison
