Factors associated with time- to- treatment of prostate cancer in Florida

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer after skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death for American men, behind only lung cancer.1 The American cancer society estimates that there will be about 238,590 new cases of prostate cancer, and 29,720 men will die from the disease in 2013.1 Prostate cancer mortality rate is declining in developed countries, however it is not clear whether this is due to the increasing use of screening procedures based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, improved treatment,2 or combination of these and/or other factors.3 In spite of declining prostate cancer mortality, striking racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes exist in the U.S. Compared with Caucasian men, African American are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stage disease and die from prostate cancer in the U.S.1,4 Studies have shown differences in prostate cancer treatment among patients with various races/ethnicities or socioeconomic backgrounds.5-8 Existing literature suggests that African American men have not been receiving optimal treatment for prostate cancer and have been experiencing delays in treatment.9-11 Such differences in treatment must be understood better and explained as they might be one cause of the racial disparities in prostate cancer mortality observed in the U.S. This information is critical for the development of appropriate policy and intervention strategies to eliminate long- term racial/ethnic disparities. © Meharry Medical College.