April is National Minority Health Month presented by the Office of Minority Health. This year they celebrate 30 Years of Advancing Health Equity. This office addresses disease prevention, health promotion, risk reduction, healthier lifestyle choices, use of health care services and barriers to health care for racial and ethnic minorities.
This month we would like to bring more awareness to African American men and prostate cancer. 1 out of 6 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. For African American men, it is 1 in every 4. More than 230,000 men are diagnosed with this disease and more than 29,000 will die as a result. Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent form of cancer after melanoma.
African American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than Caucasian men. They are also almost 2.5 times as likely to die from this cancer. Scientists cannot explain why prostate cancer occurrence and death rates are higher among African American men. Although, it is widely believed that a combination of genetic differences, lifestyle and nutrition habits, and medical care are factors.
Below are some ways to help decrease your chance of getting prostate cancer.
- Exercise
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Know your family history
- Get an annual PSA test
- Avoid charred meats
You can read more about prostate cancer in this free download, Straight Talk for African-American Men and Their Families. You can also sign up for a free account for our early warning tool, the prostate tracker.
If you are a woman reading this, please encourage the men in your life to learn more prostate cancer and get tested. Let’s talk about it; let’s conquer it…together.
References:
http://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/
http://www.pcf.org/site/c.leJRIROrEpH/b.8481037/k.1EF4/AfricanAmerican_Men__Risk_Factors.htm
