Population-Level Patterns of Prostate Cancer Occurrence: Disparities in Virginia

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. In Virginia, which is a representative, ethnically diverse state of more than 8 million people that was established nearly 400 years ago, prostate cancer has the highest rate of new detection for any type of cancer. All men are at risk of developing prostate cancer regardless of demographics, but some men have an increased mortality risk due to cancer metastasis. Notably, one in five African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and they have the highest prostate cancer mortality rate of any ethnic group in the United States, including Virginia. A person's genetic profile and family history are important biological determinants of prostate cancer risk, but modifiable environmental factors (e.g., pollution) appear to be correlated with patterns of disease prevalence and risk. In this review, we examine current perspectives on population-level spatial patterns of prostate cancer in Virginia. For context, recent, publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are highlighted and presented in spatial format. In addition, we explore possible co-morbidities of prostate cancer that may have demographic underpinnings highlighted in recent health disparity studies.