As you may know, 1 in 4 Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer - that’s double the risk of the rest of the population. 1 in 12 Black men die from prostate cancer, compared to 1 in 24 white men and 1 in 44 Asian men.
We know that Black communities face barriers when accessing health services, and rates of men being tested don’t reflect their increased level of risk. We need to create stronger messaging to encourage Black men to get tested, and we need to understand the cultural barriers preventing them from accessing PSA blood tests.
Tottenham-based Nurse, Karen Bonner lost her dad, Egbert, in 2014, four years after he was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Since then Karen has worked tirelessly for others in her dad's memory, raising awareness of prostate cancer, especially in the Black community. She said:
"“My Dad Egbert died of advanced prostate cancer, and as a nurse and a black woman, I have a real understanding of the unique challenges the Black communities face. I feel really positive about the work we’ve done so far improving our messages and am looking forward to hearing ideas and suggestions from other supporters - so we can save more lives.”
Karen Bonner, Nurse and Prostate Cancer UK supporter
On Monday 6 February, 7-8pm, Karen will host our Zoom webinar Improving prostate cancer information for Black communities to hear from a GP and a patient with lived experience of prostate cancer.
