Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second most common cause of cancer death.
However, African American men have a 60% higher incidence of prostate cancer and the highest mortality rate of prostate cancer worldwide, according to a representative from the Siteman Cancer Center.
Siteman Cancer Center has launched a cancer screening initiative to address these racial disparities, and it includes an educational campaign and free prostate cancer screenings in St. Louis area.
Dr. Lannis Hall, radiation oncologist and associate professor of clinical radiation oncology at Washington University School of Medicine, says the disparities with prostate cancer “has caused tremendous disproportionate pain and suffering in the Black community.”
“The survival rate is quite high regardless of ethnic or racial group if detected early, which is why this screening and educational campaign is so critical,” she said.
“The initial screening for prostate cancer is a simple test that requires only a teaspoon of blood, and a lab can easily take this blood test and report the results to your healthcare provider, and it gives excellent baseline information on the health of the prostate gland.”
Support for this initiative is provided by AstraZeneca, a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company.
The prostate is a part of the male reproductive system, which includes the penis, prostate, seminal vesicles, and testicles. The prostate is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder).
The educational campaign will aim to spread awareness among African American men in the St. Louis area about their higher risk for prostate cancer (one in six Black men) and why they need to start screening for prostate cancer at ages 40 to 45.
“We know that when prostate cancer is detected early before symptoms occur, the five-year survival is over 95% regardless of race; early treatment can occur sometimes in less than a week, and for many men, sometimes we detect prostate cancers that we can just monitor,” Hall said.
“Understanding your prostate cancer is key, particularly for Black men who have a 70% higher incidence rate.”
In addition to providing education on prostate cancer risks, Siteman is providing access to free prostate cancer screenings with the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.
The PSA test is a simple blood test to measure the amount of PSA protein produced by the prostate. Elevated PSA levels may be an indicator of prostate problems such as prostate cancer.
Siteman is offering several ways for men to get screened for prostate cancer through its website, www.getscreenednow.com/prostatetest.
On the website, men can search by ZIP code to find a screening location near them, or men 40 or older can request a voucher for a free screening through Washington University’s Program for the Elimination of Cancer Disparities (PECaD).
These vouchers can be used for free PSA screenings at the lab in the Center for Advanced Medicine on the Washington University Medical Campus or at Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County. Walk-ins are available, but appointments are preferred by calling PECaD at 314-286-2587.
“The screening rate for African American men is about 30% in our latest national survey, and African American men have the lowest screening rate of all ethnic and racial groups,” Hall said. “The goal of this screening initiative is to improve screening rates and ultimately save lives.”
A calendar of free prostate cancer screening events is also available on the website, which includes screening events hosted by community partners, including local churches and other organizations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], common treatments for prostate cancer include:
-Expectant management. If your doctor thinks your prostate cancer is unlikely to grow quickly, he or she may recommend that you don’t treat the cancer right away. Instead, you can choose to wait and see if you get symptoms in one of two ways:
-Active surveillance. Closely monitoring the prostate cancer by performing prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests and prostate biopsies regularly, and treating the cancer only if it grows or causes symptoms.
-Watchful waiting. No tests are done. Your doctor treats any symptoms when they develop. This is usually recommended for men who are expected to live for 10 more years or less.
-Surgery. A prostatectomy is an operation where doctors remove the prostate. Radical prostatectomy removes the prostate as well as the surrounding tissue.
-Radiation therapy. Using high-energy rays (similar to X-rays) to kill the cancer. There are two types of radiation therapy:
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External radiation therapy. A machine outside the body directs radiation at the cancer cells.
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Internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy). Radioactive seeds or pellets are surgically placed into or near the cancer to destroy the cancer cells.
