One in four black men in the UK were refused a prostate cancer test by their GP, survey finds.
The survey by Prostate Cancer Research (PCR) revealed that black men faced these barriers despite having twice the risk of developing the disease.
Oliver Kemp, chief executive of PCR, said: ‘These black and white figures are shocking, and an important call to action.’ She added that it was important for the Government, NHS and other partners to work together to ‘close this health gap’.
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According to Cancer Research UK, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with 55,100 new cases every year. However, black men in the UK are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime than other men. One in four black men are diagnosed in their lifetime, compared with a one in eight for all men.
PCR polled 2000 black adults living in the UK in March 2024 to find out more about racial disparities in healthcare and access to prostate cancer treatment within the black community.
The survey found a quarter (25%) believed discrimination prevented them from being tested for prostate cancer, and just under a half (47%) thought they would receive the same level of care from the NHS as their white counterparts.
The charity has called for targeted initiatives to reduce the risk and improve access to healthcare for black men, including raising awareness and ending stigma, recruiting black people to take part in clinical research and campaigning for better cancer screening.
Mr Kemp said: ‘It is vital we raise awareness not only among the community, but also among healthcare professionals and policymakers. We are calling on GPs to be mindful of black men’s greater risk when considering PSA [prostate-specific antigen] testing, and on government to introduce screening for men in high-risk groups – our data shows that 82% of black men would be willing to take part in such a programme, if it were rolled out. It is staggering to think of how many lives could be saved.’