Black men are at disproportionate risk of dying from prostate cancer due to outdated NHS guidelines, charity warns
Black men are at a disproportionate risk of dying from prostate cancer due to outdated NHS guidelines, a charity has warned.
Prostate Cancer UK says ministers have a ‘moral obligation’ to change the rules so GPs can proactively talk to at-risk groups about screening for the disease.
New data from the National Prostate Cancer Audit shows that black men are more likely than any other ethnic group to be diagnosed at stages 3 and 4 – when the cancer has already spread.
This seriously hampers survival and is a key factor in why they are twice as likely to die from the disease, experts say.
Analysts looked at how many men in the general population in England were diagnosed with stage 3 and 4 prostate cancer.
They found that for every 100,000 black men, 440 are diagnosed at this late stage, compared to 295 of their white counterparts.
Those diagnosed later in their 60s are also 14 per cent less likely to receive NICE-approved treatment on the NHS compared to white men, the research found.
Professor Frank Chilegwundoh MBE, consultant urologist at Bart’s Health NHS Trust, said: ‘The disparity we can see from this data is shocking and deeply disappointing.
Black men are at disproportionate risk of dying from prostate cancer due to outdated NHS guidelines, a charity has warned (stock image)
Prostate Cancer UK says ministers have a ‘moral obligation’ to change the rules so GPs can proactively talk to at-risk groups about screening for the disease (stock image)
‘This is a result of current NHS guidance; these guidelines treat all men the same, regardless of the fact that some individuals – in this case black men – have a higher than average risk of prostate cancer.”
Experts believe there is now sufficient evidence that higher-risk men should proactively receive PSA screening, with the benefits outweighing the risks.
Under current rules, the responsibility is left to men to determine their risk of disease and decide whether to request a blood test
Sir Chris Hoy’s terminal diagnosis at the age of 48 has also renewed calls to introduce national screening for those most at risk, without waiting for the results of the TRANSFORM trial on how to do this.
Prostate Cancer UK wants the government to update NHS guidelines so that GPs can proactively start conversations about prostate cancer with black men from the age of 45, explaining their higher risk and talking them through the pros and cons of the PSA blood test .
Keith Morgan, Associate Director of Black Health Equity at Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘The evidence reveals the depth of inequality that exists when it comes to prostate cancer diagnosis and supports what black men have been telling us for years about the challenges they face confronted. .
“Now that we have the data, there is a moral imperative to urgently address this health scandal.”
He added: ‘We can’t change the fact that black men are at greatest risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, but we can change the fact that they are twice as likely to die from a treatable cancer if they are is noticed early.
‘That’s why we are redoubling our urgent call for the government to review this outdated NHS guidance and enable GPs to start conversations about the possibility of PSA testing in men at highest risk of prostate cancer.’