Prostate Cancer: It's Twice As Likely To Kill Black Men As White Men

New findings published in BMC Medicine reveal that black men in England are more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The findings also revealed that they are more likely to die from the health issue as well.

"We already knew that black men were more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men, however, the data we had was fast becoming out of date," Alison Cooper, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "The study also provides important absolute risk figures to help black men better understand their risk of developing prostate cancer."

For the study, researchers examined prostate cancer incidence and mortality data for England over the period 2008-2010 from a combination of sources including Public Health England, Office for National Statistics and the national census, including a total sample size of 25,635,649 men. From that sample, 102,252 had prostate cancer diagnoses and 26,521 deaths resulted from the health problem.

Based on the findings, researchers estimate that the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer in England is about 1 in 8 for white men, 1 in 4 for black men (including those of Black, Black Caribbean, African and other origins) and 1 in 13 for Asian men, according to Medical Daily.

Furthermore, the lifetime risk of dying from prostate cancer in England is about 1 in 24 for white men, 1 in 12 for black men and 1 in 44 for Asian men. 

If you or someone you know think you may have prostate cancer, watch out for the early symptoms. They may include difficulty starting or stopping the urinary stream, as well as increase in frequency of urination and pain while urinating.

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