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Disparities in Prostate Cancer Among African-American Men

  • June 6, 2023

 

Disparities in Prostate Cancer Among African-American Men

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) all men are at risk for prostate cancer, with an estimated 13 out of 100 American men diagnosed with it during their lifetime.

While the most common risk factor is age – the older a man is, the greater chance for a diagnosis of prostate cancer – African-American men are at increased danger for getting or dying from prostate cancer. In fact, the CDC indicates that African-American men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than other men; get prostate cancer at a younger age; tend to have more advanced disease when it is found; and typically have a more severe type of prostate cancer than other men.

This eye-opening information is one of the core reasons why our Men’s Health Program was created back in 2004. Our comprehensive outreach, education, screening, and referral program is designed to link men to the primary health care and support services offered by Whittier. Racial and ethnic men living in Boston are less likely to have a primary care provider; this disparity in access to care can lead to inequality in health outcomes – an unfortunate case in point being a higher risk and rate of prostate cancer.

“The goal of our Men’s Health Program is to save lives by providing the necessary tools of education, screening and connection to services,” said Dr. Stephen Wright, Medical Director at Whittier Street Health Center, noting that the Center’s Men’s Health Clinic is open during convenient hours and is staffed by male providers and support staff.

We encourage enrollment in our Men’s Health Clinic, a simple process that can open the doors to life-saving screenings, such as those for prostate cancer.

We also encourage attendance at our June 24th Men’s Health Summit with this year’s theme UNITED for Men’s Health: Grounded in Equity. The 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Summit is free and will include a health fair, workshops, a panel discussion, information and conversation about men’s health and wellness. It will be held on the grounds of the Frederica M. Williams Building, 1290 Tremont Street, Roxbury and will include a Father’s Day brunch from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

 

 

A note about Whittier and COVID-19

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in our area, we ask all clients and patients to call ahead before coming to any of our sites. We are working to take care of most clients/patients via phone/video encounter so we can meet your ongoing healthcare needs. This is for your safety and so we can provide the highest quality of care to you while following CDC guidance for COVID-19. Please call 617-427-1000 for any questions or concerns.

Whittier will provide COVID-19 testing from 10 am to 4 pm on Monday to Friday. Following CDC guidance, we recommend testing if you have a fever AND one of the following three symptoms: cough OR shortness of breath OR sore throat. Please bring your picture identification and your insurance card (if you have insurance).