Equal access to care could help reduce prostate cancer disparities

The results of a new study find that having ready access to the same quality of care could reduce prostate cancer disparities between African American and white men. Looking at data from more than 60,000 African American and white men who sought prostate cancer care at the VA — an equal-access health system — scientists found that, compared to the general population, African American men were not first diagnosed with more advanced stages of the disease, nor did they have significant delays in receiving a diagnosis or care. The 10-year mortality rate among African American men was slightly lower — at 4.4% — than the 5.1% rate among white men. Nationally, Black men have a higher chance of dying from prostate cancer than white men, and the authors suggest the difference in the study could be because veterans have equal access to care of the same quality.