THE SUN
NEARLY eight in 10 black men don’t know they are twice as likely to get prostate cancer as other men, a charity warns.
A poll of 500 black males found 87 per cent underestimate the fatal impact of prostate cancer.
Two thirds think 5,000 or fewer men die every year from the disease – but in reality, there are 12,000 deaths in the UK alone.
If caught early, the disease can be very treatable, yet only 36 per cent of black men are aware early stage prostate cancer often has no symptoms.
The research by Prostate Cancer UK found 52 per cent of those polled admitted they don’t want to bother a GP unless they have pain or are showing signs of illness.
There are also concerns about being tested, with 64 per cent worried about having a rectal exam, despite a blood test being the best first step to test for the disease.
Figures show one in four black men in the UK will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, which puts them at double the risk of other men, who have a one in eight chance of being diagnosed.
Having a family history of prostate cancer also puts men at increased risk, but 53 per cent of black men were unaware of the additional hereditary link.
The research was commissioned by Prostate Cancer UK, as part of its ‘What on Earth is a prostate?!’ campaign, which aims to dispel widespread misconceptions about the most common cancer in men.
It has also partnered with Dope Black Dads, a support group and podcast which works to challenge stereotypes about black fatherhood and encourage a progressive, inclusive community of parents.
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