President Biden’s Prostate Cancer: Black Men Pay Attention

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Former President Joseph Biden announced on Sunday that he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. He was diagnosed after reporting urinary symptoms to his physicians. His Gleason score is a 9 (out of a possible 10), making this an aggressive cancer. The former President, 82, also has Stage 4 cancer, meaning it has spread to his bones. His cancer is hormone-sensitive, according to his doctors, which seems to bode well for a potential treatment plan.

According to the New York Times, prostate cancer experts say that once the disease has spread to the bones, however, it cannot be cured. Dr. Judd Moul, a prostate cancer expert at Duke, told the Times that men whose prostate cancer has spread “can live five, seven, 10 or more years.”

President Biden’s announcement came as a shock to everyone. Black Health Matters joins in outpouring prayers and well wishes for him and his family. Yesterday, he posted this message on social media:

“Cancer touches us all. Like many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

How Prostate Cancer Impacts Black Men

The former President’s diagnosis made us think about how prostate cancer impacts us both professionally and personally. I spoke with Brian Bragg, Chief Mission Officer at Zero Prostate, about why this is also a moment for Black men to take prostate cancer screening seriously. “Prostate cancer adversely impacts Black men in particular; sounding the alarm for them is all about early detection.”

According to research done by the Institute of Cancer Research, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men because of the disparities in the accessibility of care.

Further research confirms this. “Persistent disparities in treatment for AA and emerging disparities in Hispanic men, regardless of stage at presentation, likely represent a significant predictor of higher mortality in underserved populations,” Kelvin A. Moses, MD, PhD, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues concluded in Urology.

“So, if one in eight men overall are affected by prostate cancer, for Black men, it is one in six. There is also a higher rate of disparity for veterans, those in the military, and rural areas,” Bragg says.

“All of those are high-risk communities. And we need to be mindful that they are accessing care and are having conversations with their healthcare providers about PSA testing starting at age 40.”

How Prostate Exam Testing Has Changed

Bragg wants to remind men that prostate exams have evolved from intrusive physical exams to blood tests, which are done to establish the baseline levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood and the frequency at which the testing needs to be repeated.

If prostate cancer is caught early, Bragg points out that there is a high survival rate. “Even if you ‘re diagnosed at an advanced stage, there are still therapies and modalities that can help you; it isn’t an immediate death sentence,” he explains.

Symptoms That Need to Be Checked Out

While prostate cancer can go mostly undetected without a PSA test, some symptoms should send you to the doctor for immediate overall testing, Bragg points out:

Difficulty urinating
Urinating often, especially at night
Burning or pain during urination
Blood or pain during urination

These symptoms could point to potential problems with your prostate. It is better to err on the side of caution than to self-treat and find out you have an advanced case later.

If You Have Been Diagnosed, There is Hope

If you are a Black man diagnosed with prostate cancer, organizations like Zero Prostate have resources available that help you navigate everything from diagnosis to treatment choices to finding peer support and caregiver support.