African Men Have Higher Prostate Cancer Risks- Urologist Warns

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-Says 1in 5 African-American Men will be diagnosed of the disease

Sequel to available statistics on prostate cancer incidence and mortality in Africa until 2013, a consultant urologist and executive physician, Dr Robert L Waterhouse, has stated that black men are more likely to die of prostate cancer than their white counterparts.

Dr Waterhouse made the remarks during his presentation at the 12^th Annual Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA), which was recently held at the Embassy Suites Charlotte, Concord Golf Resort & Spa, North Carolina, USA.

Speaking on the topic: “Prostate Cancer Update”, the medical expert noted that Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths among black men, and that “black men are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer accounts for approximately 37% of all cancers among Black men. An estimated 4,980 deaths occurred among black men from prostate cancer in 2013. An estimated 35,430 black men received prostate cancer diagnoses in 2013”, he stated.

While his review did not exclude American and African-American men, he disclosed that 1 in 5 (20%) African-American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, while estimated statistics showed that about 20% to 40% of American men have over treated the disease.

He further revealed that “Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in African-American men. African Americans have the highest rate of prostate cancer diagnosis compared to all other men. African Americans have the highest prostate cancer death rate of all men. The African American prostate cancer death rate disparity is the highest for any type of major cancer”.

As a means of reducing the disease burden among men, he recommended PSA testing for men from the age of 40, which will enhance their knowledge of their future risk of prostate cancer.

He also explained that PSA testing should not be considered on its own, but rather as part of a multivariable approach to early prostate cancer detection. “A prostate cancer diagnosis must be uncoupled from prostate cancer intervention”.