The Power of Early Diagnosis in Saving Lives from Prostate Cancer

By Lisa A. Hall, MHA
Director, Health Equity, ZERO Prostate Cancer

National Cancer Prevention Month reminds us of a powerful truth: prevention and early detection save lives. Prostate cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death among men affects people across every background, age group, and community. When detected early, it is highly treatable. When it is not, the consequences can be devastating.

While prostate cancer can affect all men, the burden is not shared equally. Certain populations including Black men, Veterans, LGBTQIA+ individuals, men with a family history of cancer, and others facing barriers to care experience higher risk, later diagnoses, or worse outcomes. Addressing these gaps through education, awareness, and equitable access to care is essential to reducing preventable deaths.

Why Prevention and Early Detection Matter

Prostate cancer often develops silently. Many men experience no symptoms in the early stages, allowing the disease to progress unnoticed. Yet when prostate cancer is detected early, survival rates can exceed 99%.

Too often, men are diagnosed at later, more aggressive stages when treatment options may be more complex and outcomes less favorable. These delayed diagnoses are more common in communities that face systemic barriers to care, mistrust of the healthcare system, or lack of access to routine screening.

What Every Man Should Know

• Prostate cancer often shows no early warning signs, making regular conversations with healthcare providers critical.
• Early-stage prostate cancer is highly treatable, with excellent survival outcomes.
• Men should talk with their healthcare providers about screening:
  • As early as age 45 if they are Black, have a family history of prostate cancer, or belong to other higher-risk groups
  • At age 50 for most men

Veterans may face additional risk due to environmental exposures, while LGBTQIA+ individuals often encounter stigma, lack of inclusive care, or limited culturally competent health information all of which can delay screening and treatment. Tailored, affirming healthcare conversations matter.

Education and Awareness Is a Community Effort

Cancer prevention does not happen in isolation. Families, partners, friends, healthcare providers, faith leaders, and advocacy organizations all play a role in encouraging proactive care and informed decision-making.

During National Cancer Prevention Month, we can take action by:

• Educating the men in our lives about prostate cancer risk and early detection
• Encouraging open, routine conversations with healthcare providers
• Sharing trusted, inclusive resources from organizations like ZERO Prostate Cancer
• Advocating for equitable, culturally competent, and affirming access to screening and treatment for all communities
• Addressing and overcoming stigma, fear, and misinformation that may prevent individuals from seeking screening, discussing symptoms, or accessing timely care

Early Detection Is Possible

Prostate cancer is not inevitable, and dying from it does not have to be. A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a simple blood test that can help detect prostate cancer early, often before symptoms develop when the disease is most treatable. With greater awareness, timely screening, and equitable access to care, we can reduce unnecessary suffering and save lives across all populations.

Moving Toward a Healthier Future

National Cancer Prevention Month is a call to act not later, but now. By prioritizing early detection, addressing disparities, and empowering all men with knowledge and access to care, we take meaningful steps toward a future where fewer lives are lost to prostate cancer.

Prevention is power. Let’s use it.