Prostate Cancer Research Funding For Black Men Inadequate

Participants at the Innovative Minds in Prostate Cancer Today 2007meeting in Atlanta, which ends on Monday, "bemoaned the fundinginequities and public ignorance" of a disease that mostly affects blackmen, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The four-day conference was sponsored by the Department of Defense.

Black men are more than twice as likely as white men to develop prostate cancer and die from it, the Journal-Constitutionreports. In addition, on average, prostate cancer develops five yearsearlier, and the tumors grow and spread more quickly in blacks than inwhites. Researchers attribute the disparity to biology, diet,environment and inadequate access to care. Only a small percentage ofprostate cancer research funding goes toward finding the causes ofdisparities between black and white men, the Journal-Constitution reports.

Rep.Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) said, "There is no reason" that prostate cancershould not receive the same government funding and support provided forbreast and cervical cancer among minority women. Marshall in Mayintroduced legislation that would make prostate cancer screeningsavailable to the poor, as breast and cervical cancer screenings areavailable at no-cost to poor women.

James Mohler, a leadingclinical researcher, said about prostate cancer advocacy, "We're not inWashington, D.C., advocating. We're not out there screaming like weought to be" (Foskett, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/8).

Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork.org. You can view theentire Kaiser WeeklyHealth Disparities Report,search the archives, and sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork.org/email. The Kaiser Weekly Health Disparities Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, afree service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.