Research on prostate cancer and mortality rates associated with the disease has revealed black men are at high risk.
This research was conducted by Dr Matthew Benedict, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) and specialist in clinical family medicine.
He said the rising incidence of prostate cancer and an increased mortality rate was noted regardless of the existing national guidelines for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening.
Alarmingly, Benedict’s research highlights deficiencies in the screening of black men in the province.
“In the Free State, which has the lowest life expectancy compared to the national average, the black population faces disproportionate challenges related to lower socioeconomic status and poorer health outcomes. Prioritising equitable access to essential primary healthcare services, including screening, is crucial in this context,” he said.
According to Benedict, prostate cancer cases increased from 29 per 100 000 men in 2007, to 68 per 100 000 men in 2018.
He said PSA screening remained a practical method for early detection and improved outcomes, “despite the risks of overdiagnosis and overtreatment”.
Benedict explained that his research revealed that aggressive prostate cancer was prevalent among black men with poor knowledge and awareness of the disease, with a low screening uptake being observed.
“Factors such as dietary habits, lifestyle and presentation time were associated with aggressive disease at diagnosis, and cultural beliefs influenced screening uptake.
“Factors associated with a higher intention to screen included reduced fear, perceived benefits, situational barriers, and perceived risk of developing prostate cancer.
“The majority of the primary healthcare providers demonstrated poor knowledge (64,8%), neutral attitudes (58,6%), and poor practice (40,0%) related to prostate cancer screening. Female providers, lower cadre nurses, and community health workers had lower knowledge scores,” said Benedict.
He said through his study he also found a lack of continuing prostate cancer-related education was significantly associated with poor knowledge, negative attitudes and poor practice among healthcare providers.
“The study proposed strategies to address the identified gaps among black men and primary healthcare providers.”
He has emphasised the importance of community-oriented approaches involving the active participation of both healthcare providers and community members to tackle the scourge of prostate cancer.
“These strategies focused on the discussion of prostate cancer health education topics in public spaces – employing diverse, comprehensive, user-friendly and culturally sensitive methods,” he said.
Benedict said he anticipated receiving support to facilitate the implementation of the recommended strategies stemming from this research.
“Implementing the proposed, targeted strategies designed for black men and their primary healthcare providers has the potential to elevate awareness and knowledge, and ultimately enhance screening practices among black men,” said Benedict.
