Black Men Urged for Prostate Cancer Screening as UK Nears Decision

In the coming weeks, the UK's National Screening Committee (NSC) will decide whether to recommend introducing a national prostate cancer screening program. This decision comes as prostate cancer has overtaken breast cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer in England, with over 55,000 new cases annually.

One man who knows firsthand the importance of early detection is Junior Hemans. In 2014, at the age of 51, Hemans was diagnosed with prostate cancer after specifically requesting a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test during a routine health check. As a black man, Hemans was aware of his increased risk, but he says many others in his community are not.

Prostate Cancer UK is among the organizations urging the NSC to recommend targeted screening for high-risk groups, including black men. The charity's associate director of black health equity, Keith Morgan, says the evidence for screening black men is "particularly strong" given their higher rates of late-stage diagnosis and mortality.

However, not all experts are convinced. Naser Turabi of Cancer Research UK argues the evidence on targeted screening remains "very unclear," citing concerns over potential overdiagnosis due to higher natural PSA levels in black men. Rhian Gabe of Queen Mary University of London agrees, noting the need for more research specifically including black participants.

Regardless of the NSC's decision, the debate over prostate cancer screening appears far from settled. As the UK grapples with this complex issue, the lives of men like Junior Hemans hang in the balance.