Military Service Combats Racial Gaps in Prostate Cancer Survival
- Black men face a higher risk of prostate cancer, often due to genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, compounded by limited healthcare access.
- However, in the military, Black veterans have prostate cancer treatment success rates comparable to White veterans.
- Black veterans may have better treatment success because they have equal healthcare access in the military, which aids in early screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
- Because Black veterans are still at higher risk for a prostate cancer diagnosis, early screening is essential.
Prostate cancer is a serious problem for Black men. They get it more often and are more likely to die from it than men of other races. Their higher risk seems to come from their genes, environment, and lifestyle, as well as limited access to good healthcare.
However, the disparity narrows for Black men in the military. Prostate cancer treatment success rates for Black veterans are right on par with their White brothers in arms.
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Dr. Rettig speculates that one possible reason for how well Black veterans prostate cancer do is because the military provides equal access to quality health care for all veterans, regardless of their race. This means that black men in the military are more likely to get screened, diagnosed, and treated for prostate cancer in a timely and effective manner. He also thinks that the military environment helps promote a healthy lifestyle that reduces the risk factors for prostate cancer, such as obesity, smoking, and alcohol use. Research backs up Dr. Rettig’s assumption. For example, a recent JAMA Open Network study of 12,992 veterans with advanced prostate cancer found that having equal access to healthcare led to longer survival for Black and Hispanic patients compared to White patients. In fact, Black patients lived about 8.36 years after getting a prostate cancer diagnosis. This was longer than the average of 5.48 years for White patients.POPCaP
And it is true that veterans have access to some of the best prostate cancer care available. For example, the Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP) is a partnership between the VA and the Prostate Cancer Foundation that uses genetic information to tailor individualized treatments for Veterans with advanced prostate cancer.
The program has eight centers of excellence across the country that offer genetic testing, counseling, clinical trials, and targeted therapies for veterans with prostate cancer. POPCaP has been credited with improving longevity and the quality of life for veterans who have a prostate diagnosis.
Dr. Rettig emphasizes the importance the VA places on early screening, especially in Black men and other high-risk groups. “Given the double risk faced by African-American men, recommending screening for these patients is a prudent approach,” he advises. “Early detection is key to improving outcomes, as it allows for more effective treatment options.”
However, the broader picture for Black men with prostate cancer across the United States is less encouraging. The American Cancer Society reports that African American men have a 60% higher incidence rate of prostate cancer compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Moreover, they are twice as likely to die from the disease.
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