September’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Matters To Black Men- Here’s How You Can Support Them

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Black men are disproportionally impacted and are two times more likely to die from prostate cancer than other men. But, when prostate cancer is detected early, it is able to be treated.

Prostate cancer does only impact men, and occurs when the prostate gland, which makes some of the seminal fluid, cells begin to grow uncontrollably.

Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the second most common to affect American men. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2023, there will be approximately “288,3000 new cases of prostate cancer [and] 34,700 deaths from prostate cancer.”

Taking a deeper dive into statistics, the racial disparities are clear. “Every 13 minutes a Black man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. 1 in 6 Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. [And] every day nearly 17 Black men die of prostate cancer,” says the nonprofit ZERO.

But why are Black men at a higher risk? The exact causes are unknown, but some attribute one or a combination of the following factors: genetics, and the fact that Black men are less likely to be enrolled in clinical trials, and inequitable access to healthcare.

You can observe this month by making sure the men in your life know the risks and also providing support and assistance to those who are impacted by this disease. Let this month be the impetus for early detection!

How can you get screened? Right now, the main way to get screened is to have a blood sample tested for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) markers. If there are high PSA levels, this can be an indication of prostate cancer. Evidence demonstrates that getting regularly screened can reduce prostate cancer deaths.

In recent years, screening for prostate cancer has been under scrutiny, because the test can detect other cancers that are not harmful.  

But urology specialist, Dr. Jason Bridges told ESSENCE, “Although in recent years there has been much debate on the benefit of screening for prostate cancer in the general population, there has never been a debate on the need for it in the African-American community.”

“This is because it hits us harder, more frequently and we die from it more common than any other population on the planet,” Dr. Bridges continued, adding “Unfortunately, waiting until symptoms appear is not enough as early detection with screening is usually the only way to find a cure. Every Black man over 40 needs to get yearly screenings at least with a blood test (PSA).  And if you have a family history (father or brother), you may want to start earlier like I did.”

“We hear about finding a ‘cure for cancer’ often:  We have one! We cure cancer all the time- when found early with screening.  So please, see your doctor and get screened,” said Dr. Bridges.