One in four Black men in the UK refused prostate cancer test by their GP, survey finds

One in four black men in the UK have been refused a prostate cancer test by their GP despite having twice the risk of developing the disease than the overall adult male population, a report has found.

A PSA test measures the level of the protein prostate-specific antigen in the blood, and may be able to detect prostate cancer in its early stages.

But according to a survey conducted by Prostate Cancer Research of 2,000 black men in the UK, almost a quarter (24%) attempting to get tested in the past year reported being obstructed by a GP.

The survey also found a quarter (25%) believed discrimination prevented them from being tested for prostate cancer, while just under a half (47%) thought they would receive the same level of care from the NHS as their white counterparts.

The poll also found that 22% of black men aged 45-54 did not receive a PSA test despite asking, with many having been told by their GP that the test was unnecessary.

The report also found that 84% of black people believed there should be more medical research that included black people. A similar figure (83%) agreed that more black people should take part in medical research and 73% said things would only improve if that happened.

Black men in the UK are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer in their life time than other men One in four black men will be diagnosed in their lifetime, compared with a one in eight for all men.

More than a million men worldwide are diagnosed with the disease each year. The chances of survival are relatively good – 78% of men survive 10 years or more after diagnosis, particularly if diagnosed early. Many can live for decades without symptoms or needing treatment.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with 55,100 new cases every year, according to Cancer Research UK.

Oliver Kemp, the chief executive of Prostate Cancer Research, said: “These black and white figures are shocking, and an important call to action. It shouldn’t be the community alone who has to fix this – just as we have seen members of the community come together around our Real Talk campaign, we are calling on government, the NHS, and other partners to come together and work with us to close this health gap.

“It is vital we raise awareness not only among the community, but also among healthcare professionals and policymakers. We are calling on GPs to be mindful of black men’s greater risk when considering PSA testing, and on government to introduce screening for men in high risk groups – our data shows that 82% of black men would be willing to take part in such a programme, if it were rolled out. It is staggering to think of how many lives could be saved.”