NEW ORLEANS, Jul 29, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A lack of doctor trust, access
and continuity are to blame for black U.S. men having a 55 percent higher rate
of prostate cancer than white men, a study found.
These factors -- plus possible doctor bias, erroneous stereotypes or lack of
understanding of minorities -- result in more advanced prostate cancer among
African-American men at the time of diagnosis than among white men, the study
published in Cancer said.
They also contribute to a death rate that's 2 1/2 times higher than that of
white men, the study said.
"Importantly, no differences in prostate cancer stage at diagnosis were observed
between men of either race when an established relationship with a healthcare
provider existed," noted investigator Elizabeth Fontham, dean of the School of
Public Health at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans.
After interviewing more than 1,000 North Carolina and Louisiana men age 50 and
older, researchers found white men generally exhibited higher doctor trust
levels than black men and were more likely to report a doctor's office as their
usual source of care.
White men also were more likely to see the same doctor at regular medical visits
and be screened for prostate cancer than their black counterparts, the
researchers found.
African-American men were less likely to report prostate cancer screening before
diagnosis and men with no history of screening were more likely to be diagnosed
with advanced-stage or high-grade prostate cancer than men who reported a
history of screening, the study, funded by the U.S. Defense Department,
indicated.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International