by Dianne Anderson

Not so long ago, the best medical recommendation was that all men start screening for prostate cancer starting at age 50 – which is great for some men, but for Black men, it would be way too late.

By then, their prostate cancer would be at an advanced stage, or worse.

For that reason, Black health experts agree that earlier is better, especially for Black men at higher risk, and those with a family history, which happens to be mostly Black men. The best bet is to start screening around 35 to 40.

The earlier, the better.

How prostate cancer gets to stage three or stage four by the time doctors discover it in Black men is not so much a medical mystery. For starters, trust in the medical system that has failed the Black community so many times is one issue.

Another is that all men in general seem reluctant to seek help when needed, an old-school attitude of rolling with the punches.

For John Malveaux, diagnosed with later stage prostate cancer last year, it was some of all of the above. When he first learned he had prostate cancer, it was alarming.

“I was pointing the finger at myself because years ago they had an event with prostate screening. I was told I had a very high [PSA] count and I didn’t follow up. I didn’t go to a doctor,” he said.

He waited longer than he should have because he read somewhere that prostate cancer was slow growing. He didn’t rush for follow-up.

But slow growth does not mean the same thing for Black men, who often deal with hormonal cancers made worse by the poor American diet of processed foods, which study after study links to higher cancer incidence.

Today, Malveaux warns Black men get tested early, and regularly. If there’s a high PSA, don’t delay follow-up. Get a second opinion if needed.

He didn’t want radical surgery, but had real concerns because some family members have died of prostate cancer.

“One thing that scared me, it wasn’t something that I thought about daily, but I was aware there may be a genetic factor involved,” he said.

Nurture versus nature has always been a big question.

Even so, it turns out that many twin and identical twin studies show genetics are not a guaranteed risk factor. Some twins got cancer, others did not. For those that got it, environment, diet, smoking, and bad lifestyle choices played a big role.

The good news is that before he was diagnosed, he had a total hip replacement surgery, which turned out great for keeping up his health. Besides a lot of prayer, he keeps his body conditioned by exercising, and getting consistently on the bike.

“Initially, my [PSA] count was high, but the doctor said it came down unexplainably. The medication is doing what it’s supposed to do,” he said.

In the Inland Empire, the focus this month is also attracting Black men to their prostate cancer event  on Wednesday, June 11. The Rialto Men’s Health Fair & Expungement Event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Rialto Certified Farmers Market, located at 290 W. Rialto Ave.

Former Mayor Deborah Robertson has supported the annual Rialto event from the beginning with her father in mind.

He also had prostate issues, and trusted her and her mother enough to decide on radiation treatment. He never had a prostate issue after that time.

“Men don’t know how to handle their mortality, but I realized then, I decided why isn’t there a men’s health awareness week?” said Robertson, adding that the city is also going into its sixth year of holding mental health awareness week and day.

After establishing their Men’s Health Awareness event, their first goal was to get the prostate group to visit the mobile van.

The men wouldn’t go near the van for fear of the dreaded finger exam. She said there is still a lingering justifiable phobia because of the Tuskegee experiments, and Black men are not eager to sign up.

By the event’s second year, they set up the table and let the men know all they needed was a simple blood test. They got a lot of takers.

“When the guys found out, they just signed up for a blood test, I got more men [tested] in the city,” she said. “It was so amazing, we kept doing it every year.”

Health for Black men is now at a critical level. Her husband, a veteran, was diagnosed with a serious heart issue last year, which was undiagnosed and basically ignored by medical doctors starting ten years ago. His hardening of the heart was never annotated properly in his records.

She said he could have been well into good treatment, but their goal now is to slow progression of something that should have been handled long ago.

This year, she’s also participating in their annual Juneteenth event and asking veterans to come share their stories. She wants more men of color  to share what they’re doing for self-care, if they’ve seen their doctors, and stay on top of their tests.

It’s important to shed more light because men of color, especially Black men, are being devastated. Women also get misdiagnosed. One friend, by the time the doctor saw and correctly diagnosed her, the cancer had metastasized.

“What we need to do is push the places where you have your healthcare, like HMOs. Our young men, we have prostate cancer under 35, why are you telling them to wait till they’re 40?” she said.

Other free prostate cancer meetings are held regularly in Rialto, where Black men open up more about their concerns and learning that knowledge is power.

“I want to be able to touch every base that they have to live with, my husband is a 30-year colon cancer survivor,” said Erlinda Patterson, a long-time health professional, who co-hosts the event with James Miller.

There, every month is prostate cancer awareness month, particularly with outreach to Black men because they are so disproportionately impacted. They cover all the health issues, and the latest approaches to therapy.

Meetings are held at Greater Faith Grace Bible Church in Rialto, located at 249 East Randall Ave., every third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. Light refreshments are served.

“I make sure the men know about the different kinds of treatment options for prostate, high blood pressure, diabetes, we go over all the medications and all the side effects.”

To connect on sharing veteran stories, contact the Deborah Robertson Foundation at
deborahrobertsonfoundation@gmail.com

For more prostate facts, see Johns Hopkins Medicine
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/2023/12/narrowing-the-racial-gap-in-prostate-cancer

To learn more about various treatments, see
https://www.cityofhope.org/clinical-program/prostate-cancer/treatments-survival

For research on eggs and increased prostate cancer, see

Prostate Cancer and Eggs, Dairy, Supplements: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)