BACKGROUND
In the UK, a man’s lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is 1 in 8. We calculated both the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with and dying from prostate cancer by major ethnic group.
METHODS
Public Health England provided prostate cancer incidence and mortality data for England (2008–2010) by major ethnic group. Ethnicity and mortality data were incomplete, requiring various assumptions and adjustments before lifetime risk was calculated using DevCan (percent, range).
RESULTS
The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is approximately 1 in 8 (13.3 %, 13.2–15.0 %) for White men, 1 in 4 (29.3 %, 23.5–37.2 %) for Black men, and 1 in 13 (7.9 %, 6.3–10.5 %) for Asian men, whereas that of dying from prostate cancer is approximately 1 in 24 (4.2 %, 4.2–4.7 %) for White men, 1 in 12 (8.7 %, 7.6–10.6 %) for Black men, and 1 in 44 (2.3 %, 1.9–3.0 %) for Asian men.
CONCLUSIONS
In England, Black men are at twice the risk of being diagnosed with, and dying from, prostate cancer compared to White men. This is an important message to communicate to Black men. White, Black, and Asian men with a prostate cancer diagnosis are all as likely to die from the disease, independent of their ethnicity. Nonetheless, proportionally more Black men are dying from prostate cancer in England.
Reference: BMC Medicine 2015, 13:171
doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0405-5
Written by:
Therese Lloyd (1), Luke Hounsome (2), Anita Mehay (1), Sarah Mee (1), Julia Verne (2), and Alison Cooper (1)
1. Evidence Team, Prostate Cancer UK, 4th Floor Counting House, 53 Tooley Street, London, UK.
2. Knowledge and Intelligence Team (South West), Public Health England, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol, UK.