Analysis shows that black men in England are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer

Black men in England are more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer than their white counterparts, while less likely to receive life-saving treatment, analysis by the National Prostate Cancer Audit has found.

The analysis found that among black men in England, 440 per 100,000 black men were diagnosed with stage three or four prostate cancer, which is 1.5 times higher than their white counterparts, who had a diagnosis of 295 per 100,000.

In addition, the study also found that black men in their 60s with a later diagnosis were 14% less likely to receive life-saving treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for use in the NHS.

The study was conducted by analyzing new prostate cancer diagnoses by ethnicity in England from January 2021 to December 2023, using data from the Rapid Cancer Registration Dataset and the National Cancer Registration Dataset.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among British men, with around 52,300 new cases and 12,000 deaths in Britain every year. Black men are twice as likely to be diagnosed and 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease than white men.

Prostate Cancer UK is calling for government guidance to be updated as under current guidance it is an individual’s responsibility to find out their risk and decide whether to request a blood test.

The charity says that although black men have double the risk of developing prostate cancer, current government guidelines treat them in the same way as other men at lower risk.

Keith Morgan, deputy director of Black Health Equity at Prostate Cancer UK, said one of the big problems with the NHS is that current prostate cancer guidelines for GPs are “vastly out of date”.

Morgan said: “Every man has the right to the best care and treatment for prostate cancer. We know that black men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, but this new data from the National Prostate Cancer Audit shows that if you’re black, the odds are currently even more stacked against you.

He added: “A major problem is that prostate cancer guidelines for GPs are hugely out of date. Current guidelines tell GPs not to initiate conversations about the pros and cons of PSA testing with men at risk. Instead, it’s up to men to know their risk and start the conversation themselves.

Prof Frank Chinegwundoh, a consultant urologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, said: “It’s time we got this data from the NPCA – there is a desperate need to better understand why black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer in Britain and taking action to save lives.

“The inequality we can see from this data is shocking and deeply disappointing. This is a consequence of the current guidelines; These guidelines treat all men the same, regardless of the fact that some individuals – black men in this case – have a higher than average risk of prostate cancer.”

He added: “Some men don’t present to their GP because they think they will be invited as part of routine tests – when this is simply not true. The sooner the guidelines change, the sooner we can save more lives.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “More black men than ever before are being diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early stage thanks to awareness campaigns and the work that NHS England has done in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, and we are working with Cancer Alliances to ensure that everyone has equal access to treatment, regardless of the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed.

“The UK National Screening Committee makes recommendations on screening and does not currently recommend inviting people without symptoms for a PSA test because the current evidence does not show that the benefits outweigh the harms. But if you have a family history of prostate cancer or have symptoms that worry you, talk to your GP.”

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.