How African American Men Decide Whether Or Not To Get Prostate Cancer Screening

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Also Included In: Nursing / Midwifery;  Urology / Nephrology;  Men's health
Article Date: 13 Jun 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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UroToday.com - Prostate Cancer Screening among African Americans. Our manuscript that was published in Cancer Nursing, revealed an important topic in how African American men decided whether or not to get a prostate cancer screening. This is particularly important currently due to the controversy of prostate cancer screening.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) states that there is insufficient evidence to weigh the benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening in men younger than 75 years of age, and they recommend against prostate cancer screening in men older than age 75. Recently, a report1 related to an early analysis of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial revealed that annual prostate cancer screening compared with community-based screening practices had no early mortality benefit by 10 years after screening was started, although more prostate cancers were found.

There has been more push for men to be well-informed by their healthcare provider about the advantages and disadvantages of having a prostate cancer screening so that the men will be able to make an informed decision. This decision-making process does not only involve the patient, but includes the family, friends, and healthcare provider as well. Healthcare providers need to continue to be aware to include individuals the patient trusts and are willing to share his health decisions to assist him in making a satisfied choice. One of the major findings from the authors' published study in Cancer Nursing was that family and friends played a major role in the complex decision-making process about prostate cancer screening of African American men. This study reveals some of the complexities within the decision-making process, particularly when it surrounds such a controversial procedure, as with prostate cancer screening.

Since the publication of our study, Jones is currently conducting a study focusing on advanced prostate cancer and the difficult decisions that are made. He aims to test a decision-making intervention for its effectiveness in increasing satisfaction and overall better quality of life.

Reference:

1. Andriole, G., et al., (2009). Mortality Results from a Randomized Prostate-Cancer Screening Trial. The New England Journal of Medicine, 360(13), 1310-13119.

Written by Randy A. Jones, PhD, RN as part of Beyond the Abstract on UroToday.com

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