Race bias tied to prostate cancer variance

NEW ORLEANS, July 29 (UPI) -- 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.