Prostate Cancer Screening: Black Men Less Likely to Get Follow-Up MRI

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Black, Hispanic and Asian men successful the United States are little apt than achromatic men to person a follow-up MRI aft a screening suggests prostate cancer, a caller survey finds.

"We can't accidental definitively if the crushed Black, Hispanic, and Asian men did not person this peculiar trial is that physicians did not notation them for it, oregon if the patients opted themselves retired of further testing," said survey writer Danny Hughes, a prof successful the Georgia Tech College of Liberal Arts School of Economics, successful Atlanta.

"Regardless, these disparities bash item the request to recognize what is happening and however to guarantee patients of each races and ethnicities person the champion imaginable care," Hughes said successful a assemblage quality release.

A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) trial is simply a communal signifier of screening for prostate crab successful men aged 55 to 69. Biopsies person been the accustomed adjacent measurement for immoderate men with elevated PSA levels that suggest prostate cancer, but non-invasive MRIs are progressively being utilized instead.

To measure radical differences successful the usage of MRI follow-up tests, the researchers analyzed astir 795,000 security claims from 50 states for PSA tests that included laboratory results. They past looked astatine however galore of the men received a follow-up MRI based connected varying PSA levels.

A PSA effect of 4 ng/mL has agelong been considered the threshold for recommending prostate biopsy; 2.5 ng/mL is simply a much precocious recognized level for aboriginal detection of prostate cancer; and 10 ng/mL is associated with higher rates of biopsies and crab diagnoses.

Compared to achromatic men, Black men aged 40 to 54 with a PSA supra 4 ng/mL were astir 40% little apt to get a prostate MRI, portion Black men aged 65 to 74 with a PSA supra 4 ng/mL were 24% little likely. And Black patients aged 65 to 74 with a PSA supra 10 ng/mL were 44% little likely, the findings showed.

Compared to achromatic patients, Asian men aged 55 to 64 with a PSA supra 2.5 ng/mL were 57% little apt to person a prostate MRI, and Asians with scores supra 4 ng/mL were 63% little likely.

Similarly, Hispanic men aged 55 to 64 with a PSA supra 10 ng/mL were 68% little apt to get the MRI follow-up compared to achromatic men, according to the study.

The results were published online Nov. 8 successful JAMA Network Open.

The survey authors said their results are particularly concerning owed to the accrued hazard of prostate crab successful Black men. Previous probe has shown that Black radical are much apt to get the disease, often get it earlier successful life, and are much apt to dice from it.

"We request to recognize much astir the relation of decision-making biases successful physicians, arsenic good arsenic different imaginable factors successful the wellness attraction strategy that could relationship for the disparities we are seeing successful this study," Hughes said.

More information

The American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America person much connected prostate MRI.

SOURCE: Georgia Institute of Technology, quality release, Nov. 8, 2021