Prostate Cancer Screening and Young Black Men: Can Early Communication Avoid Later Health Disparities?

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is a key tool for early prostate cancer detection.
• Racial and ethnic disparities exist in healthcare access and outcomes.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted preventative health screenings, particularly for minority populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if younger men, across racial and ethnic groups, discuss PSA screening benefits, risks, and harms with healthcare professionals.
• To identify disparities in communication regarding PSA screening among different racial and ethnic groups of younger men.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 518 men aged 18-49 from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS cycle 4).
• Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and discussions about PSA screening.
• Data were collected between October 2011 and February 2012.

Main Results:

• Less than 10% of participants reported prior PSA screening.
• Black and Hispanic men were more likely to have had a PSA screening compared to White men.
• Compared to White men, Black and other race men reported less communication about PSA screening recommendations and its uncertain life-saving benefits. Minority men received less information on harms and benefits.

Conclusions:

• Younger minority men, despite higher PSA screening rates, receive less comprehensive information on its benefits and harms compared to White men.
• Enhanced provider-patient communication is vital to improve awareness and knowledge about PSA screening among younger men.
• Targeted outreach is needed to address the disproportionate decline in preventative screenings among Black and other minority men post-COVID-19.