The incidence of prostate cancer among men of Afro-Caribbean origin is higher than in white men, and their outcomes are worse. To investigate the possible effects of patients' preferences and choices, Tanimola Martins and colleagues from the University of Exeter carried out a vignette study in over 500 men attending general practices in Bristol. The vignettes each included a description of prostate cancer symptom and the estimated risk of prostate cancer.
They found that preference for investigation was lower in black men even after controlling for relevant confounding factors including specific risk level, and concluded that "Black men, who have a higher incidence of prostate cancer, and a higher mortality from it, are less willing than white men to be tested for the disease. Education targeted at the black community and the health care professionals who treat them will help to address this".
Article: Ethnic differences in patients' preferences for prostate cancer investigation: a vignette-based survey in primary care, Tanimola Martins, Obioha C Ukoumunne, Jonathan Banks, Rosalind Raine and William Hamilton, British Journal of General Practice, DOI: 10.3399/bjgp15X683965, published 2 March 2015.