Special News for African American Men
A Special Message for African American Men about Prostate Cancer
Important Facts Every African American Should Know About Prostate Cancer
- Every hour in the United States, three African American men are told they have prostate
cancer. - In less than 100 minutes, another African American man will die from the disease.
- In the single decade of the 1990’s, prostate cancer killed about 350,000 men, slightly
more than the entire population of Cincinnati, Ohio. - African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world. In fact,
the incidence rate for African American men is 60% higher than in white males. - The mortality (death) rate for African Americans with prostate cancer is double
that of white males. - Prostate cancer is the fourth leading cause of death among African American men
over the age of 45.
Us TOO strongly recommends that all African American men see their doctor for a
digital rectal exam (DRE) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test annually
beginning at the age of 40 and to carefully track their PSA test score each year.
An increase of 0.75 (or 25%) in your PSA score over the period of one year warrants
further investigation.
Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are based on 2003-2004 estimates by
the American Cancer Society