• African-Americans have a decreased likelihood of surviving 5 years after a cancer diagnosis than whites for all cancers and at all stages of diagnosis.
• Much of the disparity in survival for African-Americans is believed to be due to factors associated with poverty, including reduced access to
Medical care, diagnosis at later stage, and disparities in treatment
• The relative five year survival rate for breast cancer diagnosed from 1999-2000 among African-American women was 75% compared to 89% for whites.
• The relative five year survival rate for colorectal cancer improved from 45% in 1974-76 to 55% om 2000. However, this improvement was smaller than that of whites (50% to 64%) over the same period of time
• 88% of of all prostate cancers among African-Americans are diagnosed at the local and regional stages compared to 91% in whites. When diagnosed at this stage, the relative survival rate is 100%. The 5-year survival rate drops to 29% when the cancer has spread to distant sites.
American Cancer Society – Cancer Facts and Figures for African-Americans 2005-2006
Learn more about these topics by clicking on the links.
CDC: Breast Cancer & Mammography Info
Prostate Cancer: To Test or Not To Test?
Prostate-specific Antigen is a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland. The prostate gland surrounds part of the urethra, just below the bladder, and produces a fluid that forms part forms part of the semen. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the PSA test along with a digital rectal examination to help detect prostate cancer in men 50 and older. African American men and individuals with a family history of prostate cancer begin their screenings earliers. The higher a man’s PSA level, the greater the likelihood that he has cancer. However, there are other factors that can elevate PSA levels. Therefore, doctor’s recommendations for screening vary
Dr. Otis W. Brawley is Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology at the Emory University School of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health. He also serves as Associate Director of the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University and as Director of the Georgia Cancer Coalition Center of Excellence at Grady Hospital.
Dr. Brawley opposes the universal use of the Prostate-specific Antigen, or PSA, to screen men for prostate cancer. He says the risks of false positive readings and subsequent treatment are far deadlier than the disease itself.
Dr. Terry Mason is a urologist and assistant professor of surgery at the Abraham Lincoln School of Medicine, University of Illinois. He is affiliated with Mercy Hospital, Michael Reese Hospital and Rush Presbyterian in the Chicago area. A regional director of the Impotence Institute of America (now the World Impotence Association), he published the book Making Love Again, Renewing Intimacy and Helping Your Man Overcome Impotence in 1988. He has presented several reviews of treatments such as penile injection therapy and Caverject to the National Medical Association as well as the World Meeting on Impotence.
While he says that the Prostate-specific Antigen, or PSA, test is often inaccurate for the detection of prostate cancer, it is the best tool currently available.
