One in eight men will get prostate cancer, but if you’re black you have twice that risk. It’s now the most common cancer in the UK. We’ve come a long way in the last few years, with more men getting diagnosed and treated than ever before, largely thanks to the awareness raised by celebrities like Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Stephen Fry bravely sharing their stories.
But in the absence of screening, or any form of early detection programme, each year more than 12,000 men are still dying from a disease that is curable when found early enough. And the situation isn’t an even one across the UK: growing inequalities and an out-dated system are unfairly putting men from certain areas and communities in greater danger.
Black men face double the risk of getting prostate cancer, and dying from it, compared with others. According to the latest report from the National Prostate Cancer Audit, a black man is also much more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage — when the cancer is much harder to treat — than a white man.
This inequity doesn’t stop at diagnosis. Evidence from the same report shows that black men in their 60s are 14 per cent less likely than a white man to get the treatment that could be their best chance of a cure.
Despite all this mounting proof our black men are impacted by prostate cancer, the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) concluded last November that there’s not enough evidence to recommend screening for them. All those black dads, brothers, partners, and friends are left to fend for themselves against a system that is failing them and a disease that often doesn’t cause any symptoms in its early stages. We’re in the midst of a crisis, and without serious intervention it’s only going to get worse.
There is a moral imperative to urgently address the health inequities that black men are experiencing when navigating prostate cancer. We won’t stop until every single man has the best shot at getting a curable diagnosis. We’re investing millions into both a comprehensive long-term strategy and urgent action, to ensure that black men are no longer left behind in this country.
In the last year, I’ve assembled a team at Prostate Cancer UK dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes of black men affected by prostate cancer. We’ve launched our ambitious £3.6m Black Health Equity Strategy, and our first major project is underway in the West Midlands.
Alongside communities and leading forces like the West Midlands Cancer Alliance, we’re working on the ground to identify and root out the causes behind why more black men are getting diagnosed at late stages. My tireless team is designing new ways for communities to connect with local organisations and the NHS, so that we can empower, inform, and support black men as they navigate prostate cancer.
I’ve already mentioned the UK NSC’s decision not to approve screening for black men. While we were deeply disappointed by this result, we do respect the committee’s conclusion. We acknowledge that the evidence they reviewed had too many gaps in it for them to make a confident recommendation at this time.
However, a huge opportunity was missed, and we’re now putting that right. The NHS holds electronic health records that contain a vast amount of information and data on black men which could fill these critical gaps — but they have never been used and weren’t part of the committee’s review.
That’s why Prostate Cancer UK is funding £1m of real-world evidence research to delve into these records, analyse the huge amount of data within, and produce the missing evidence we need to secure screening for black men.
The researchers will get results within a year, and we’re urging the UK NSC to review it as soon as it’s available. We’re delighted to be partnering with Movember on this work, which is providing crucial funds for this research, and for our wider Black Health Equity work.
Another significant reason for hope is Prostate Cancer UK’s £42m TRANSFORM trial. The biggest prostate cancer screening trial in two decades, TRANSFORM will develop the safest and most effective tests, and provide the definitive evidence required for the UK to build a world-leading screening programme for all men at risk of the disease.
We’ve designed TRANSFORM to intentionally include black men, with a commitment to ensure that one in every 10 of the men invited to take part will be from black communities.
Black men have been historically left out of research, and if you’re not represented in the science, you often don’t benefit from its results. I’m proud that Prostate Cancer UK, as the nation’s biggest public funder of research into the disease, is accelerating so much pioneering scientific work focused on understanding how prostate cancer affects black men, and how we can save and improve more black lives.
While all of this should give us great optimism, we are facing a tipping point, with disproportionate numbers of black men getting the news their prostate cancer is incurable. We need action right now.
We are inviting the government to work with us to develop an early detection programme for black men, and all men who have the highest risk of getting prostate cancer.
First, let’s overhaul outdated NHS guidelines, so that GPs can finally start having proactive conversations with black patients about their higher risk and their right to a free PSA blood test. This simple, cost-free change could happen today and would save hundreds of lives each year.
Second, we are calling for investment in risk awareness campaigns to ensure that black men know about their prostate cancer risk and feel empowered to make an informed choice about PSA testing.
Third, confusing patient information must be replaced with Prostate Cancer UK’s 30-second online Risk Checker, which has now been used by more than four million men since its launch in 2020.
We will create a world where no man dies of prostate cancer, and we must start by changing the game for the men at the highest risk of getting the disease. However, we cannot do it alone. Prostate Cancer UK will continue to invest in new lifesaving research, to change the system in collaboration with policymakers and organisations like the NHS, and to reach men
in their communities across the country, giving them the tools they need to navigate prostate cancer confidently and equitably.
You can support the future of screening in the UK today by donating to ground breaking research like the TRANSFORM trial here: prostatecanceruk.org/donate
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