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Racial disparities in prostate cancer among black men: epidemiology and outcomes

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 25, pages 397–402 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Prostate cancer has the widest racial disparities of any cancer, and these disparities appear at every stage of the cancer continuum. This review focuses on the disparities in prostate cancer between Black and White men, spanning from prevention and screening to clinical outcomes. We conduct an expansive review of the literature on racial disparities in prostate cancer, interpret the findings, and discuss areas of unmet need in research. We provide an overview of epidemiologic concepts necessary to understanding the current state of prostate cancer disparities, discuss the complexities of studying race, and review potential drivers of disparities in incidence and mortality. We argue that the cause of this disparity is multifactorial and due to a combination of social and environmental factors. The path forward needs to focus on enrolling and retaining Black men in prostate cancer clinical trials and observational studies and identifying potential interventions to improve prevention and clinical outcomes in Black men.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Prostate Cancer Foundation for its ongoing support. LAM was a Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Daniel J. George, Lorelei A. Mucci

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Ilkania M. Chowdhury-Paulino, Caroline Ericsson & Lorelei A. Mucci

  2. Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Randy Vince Jr.

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Daniel E. Spratt

  4. Department of Radiation Oncology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Daniel E. Spratt

  5. Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA

    Daniel J. George

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Contributions

Conceptualization: LAM, DG, DS, and ICP, Literature review: ICP and CE, Writing: ICP, CE, and LAM, Editing: LAM, DS, RV, and DG. All authors reviewed and approved the paper prior to submission.

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Correspondence to Ilkania M. Chowdhury-Paulino.

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Conflict of interest

D.G.: American Association for Cancer Research—Sr Editor, Astellas—Consultant, Research, Advisory Board. AstraZeneca—Research, Consultant, Advisory Board, CAPI-281 Steering Committee member. Axess Oncology—Independent Contractor. Bayer H/C Pharmaceuticals—Consultant, Speaker, Honorarium, Travel accommodations, SC. BMS—Consultant, Research, Steering Committee. Calithera—Research. Capio Biosciences—Scientific Advisory Board. Constellation Pharmaceuticals—Consultant (09/2020). EMD Serono—Honorarium. Exelixis, Inc.—Research, Consultant, Speaker, Honorarium, Travel accommodations Flatiron—Consultant. Ipsen—Honorarium. Janssen Pharmaceuticals—Research, Consultant, Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC). Merck Sharp & Dohme—Consultant. Michael J. Hennessey Associates—Honorarium, Consultant. Millennium Medical Publishing, Clinical Advances in Hematology & Oncology—Co-Editor-in-Chief. Modra Pharmaceuticals B.V.—Advisory Board. Myovant Sciences, Inc.—Consultant. NCI Genitourinary Steering Committee member (Leidos Biomedical Research Inc.). Nektar Therapeutics—Steering Committee. Novartis—Research. Physician Education Resource LLC—Consultant. Pfizer—Research, Consultant, Steering Committee, Honorarium. Propella TX—Consultant (formerly Vizuri). RevHealth, LLC—Consultant—01/2021. Sanofi—Research, Consultant, Speaker, Honorarium, Travel accommodations. UroGPO—Honorarium. UroToday—Honorarium, Travel accommodations. D.S.: Personal fees: Janssen, Blue Earth, Boston Scientific, AstraZeneca. Funding: Janssen. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Chowdhury-Paulino, I.M., Ericsson, C., Vince Jr., R. et al. Racial disparities in prostate cancer among black men: epidemiology and outcomes. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 25, 397–402 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41391-021-00451-z

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