Social, Structural, and Lifestyle Drivers of Prostate Cancer Disparities

Prostate Cancer (PC) is the most common non-cutaneous malignancy diagnosed and second leading cause of cancer death among men across the United States. PC among Black men accounts for a higher proportion alike of cancer diagnoses and deaths. In the prostate specific antigen (PSA)-based screening era, mortality rates improved at a similar velocity among Black and White men, but the 2- to 3-fold excess mortality burden borne by Black men has persisted over the past 40 years, the second highest among all major cancers. In recent years mortality is rising among Black men, and at a rapid velocity.

The explanations for this disparity-the extent to which it is attributable to genetics, environmental factors including Structural and Social Determinants of Health (SSDH), or access to care-are multifactorial and have been elucidated to a limited extent. A large meta-analysis recently found that across dozens of studies and cohorts, greater adjustment for clinical and SSDH factors generally resulted in race itself dropping as a significant predictor.

These and other findings suggest that the determinants of disparity be identified at time of, and prior to, cancer diagnosis, and that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to earlier development and progression.