| It could appear strange but a lot of people | | | | study was the fact that both groups of men |
| believe that African Americans are at greater | | | | were equally well informed about both the |
| risk from prostate cancer than white men. | | | | risks of prostrate cancer and the need for |
| This short article looks at the truth behind | | | | treatment, but that the African Americans |
| this claim. | | | | accepted more responsibility for their own |
| | | | health and were less likely to trust their |
| Data shows that African American men are more | | | | doctors. In fact several of the African |
| likely to die from prostate cancer than white | | | | Americans said they were suspicious of their |
| men and most statisticians are in agreement | | | | doctors and felt that any advice given was |
| that the risk in the case of black men is | | | | more likely to be based on the cost of |
| around about two and a half times that of | | | | treatment than patient needs. |
| white men. But, are these statistics | | | | |
| misleading? | | | | When it came to screening, African Americans |
| | | | were less inclined to have regular check-ups, |
| The answer might be found in a study carried | | | | digital rectal examinations or prostate |
| out recently in North Carolina. The study | | | | specific antigen (PSA) tests. It was also |
| involved some 253 white men and 84 African | | | | interesting to note that the study reported |
| Americans between the ages of 40 and 75 who | | | | that African Americans were more than twice |
| were diagnosed with prostate cancer between | | | | as likely to have to ask for a PSA test than |
| 2001 and 2004. | | | | white men. |
| | | | |
| The study examined several factors including | | | | It is clear from this study that there is a |
| screening history, the existence of other | | | | marked different between the two groups that |
| medical conditions, symptoms, access to care, | | | | lies in the lack of early detection in the |
| employment, treatment, attitudes towards | | | | case of African Americans and that this |
| health care and health care providers, family | | | | arises to a significant degree from the fact |
| history, income and whether or not the men | | | | that they do not have well established |
| had health insurance. | | | | relationships with their physicians, have |
| | | | poor access to affordable and convenient care |
| The study found that 55 percent of the | | | | and do not carry adequate health insurance. |
| African Americans earned less than $40,000 | | | | |
| annually compared to 23 percent for the white | | | | Obviously it is not easy to put numbers to a |
| men. It also showed that African Americans | | | | study of this nature and additional, and |
| were more likely to be less well educated, to | | | | bigger, studies must to be carried out to |
| have a blue-collar job, to have other | | | | quantify the differences between black men |
| accompanying medical problems and to be | | | | and white men. Nonetheless, it appears that |
| unemployed as a result of disability or | | | | much of the difference does not lie in the |
| illness. | | | | fact that black men are more likely to |
| | | | develop prostate cancer but stems from the |
| The study further showed that just 3 percent | | | | fact that they are more likely to die as a |
| of white men had no medical insurance at all, | | | | result of the disease because of its was |
| compared to 8 percent of African Americans | | | | detected late. |
| and that just over 30 percent of white men | | | | |
| has some type of supplemental Medicare | | | | If the gap between black men and white men as |
| coverage, compared to 17 percent of African | | | | far as the provision of healthcare were |
| Americans. | | | | narrowed the statistics might well look |
| | | | quite different. |
| One particularly interesting finding from the | | | | |