- Latest data shows Black men have higher rates of stage 3 or stage 4 prostate cancer diagnoses compared with white men.
- Black men diagnosed at a later stage in their 60s are 14% less likely to get NICE approved treatment on NHS when compared to white men.
- 1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer, and they are twice as likely to get the disease compared with other men.
- Prostate Cancer UK is calling on the UK Government to change outdated NHS guidelines so that GPs can talk openly with black men about prostate cancer from the age of 45, which could lead to more Black men getting earlier diagnoses and save the lives of hundreds of their lives.
- Charity tells Black men: “you have the right to a PSA blood test for free from your GP.”
Black men are being put in disproportionate danger of dying from a curable disease, due to significant health inequities and outdated NHS guidelines, warns Prostate Cancer UK.
Prostate cancer is curable if caught early, but too many Black men are at risk of dying because they are being diagnosed late.
Shocking new data from the National Prostate Cancer Audit confirms a worrying trend — that Black men have higher rates of stage 3 and 4 prostate cancer diagnoses than any other ethnic group.
The data also reveals that Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at all stages more often than white men. More positively, most Black men who have prostate cancer are diagnosed at early stages.
Analysts looked at how many men were diagnosed with stage 3 and 4 prostate cancer for every 100,000 men in the general population (National Prostate Cancer Audit State of the Nation Report 2025). In every 100,000 white men in England, 295 get diagnosed at a later stage, while for every 100,000 Black men in England, 440 get a later stage diagnosis.
In the UK over 21,000 men are diagnosed at stage 3 and 4 every year.
Black men in their 60s who get a later diagnosis are 14% less likely to receive life-saving treatments that have been approved by NICE for use on the NHS and are proven to be their best chance of a cure (Lifetime risk of being diagnosed with, or dying from, prostate cancer by major ethnic group in England 2008–2010. BMC Medicine 2015). This data confirms what Black men have been telling Prostate Cancer UK for many years.
1 in 4 Black men will get prostate cancer, and they have twice the risk of getting the disease and dying from it compared with other men. This new data provides evidence – for the first time – that proves the depth of the inequalities Black men face when it comes to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
It doesn’t have to be like this, and thankfully there is a quick and simple political solution that could tackle these inequalities and give thousands more Black men the chance of a life-saving earlier diagnosis.
The UK’s largest men’s health charity is calling on the Government to update NHS guidelines so that GPs can proactively start having conversations about prostate cancer with Black men from the age of 45, explaining their higher risk and talking them through the pros and cons of a quick, simple, and free blood test (the PSA blood test) that could indicate further investigations are needed.
The earlier you find prostate cancer, the easier it is to treat. Prostate cancer usually has no symptoms in its earlier stages, so it’s crucial that men know about their risk of getting the disease and understand their choices, even if they feel healthy.
Under current guidelines, it's each man's responsibility to find out his risk and decide if he’d like to request a blood test. Black men have double the risk of getting prostate cancer, but these guidelines treat them the same as other men with a lower risk.
This fails to address inequity in the healthcare system and is putting Black men's lives at risk – an urgent situation as almost 1600 Black men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year.
Prostate Cancer UK is inviting the public to join its campaign and raise concerns about the now evidenced disparity in diagnosis and treatment for Black men. You can sign the letter asking the Government to change NHS prostate cancer guidelines on Prostate Cancer UK's website.
Keith Morgan, Associate Director of Black Health Equity at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Every man has the right to the best care and treatment for prostate cancer. We know that Black men are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer, but this new data from the National Prostate Cancer Audit shows that if you’re Black, the odds are currently stacked even higher against you. It's encouraging that most Black men are being diagnosed in time for a cure, but far too many are still being diagnosed late and Black men as a population have higher rates of late-stage diagnoses when compared to white men. Black men are also less likely to receive NICE approved treatments that are proven to be the best options.
“Although we don’t yet have a complete picture of why this is happening, the evidence reveals the depths of inequity that exists when it comes to diagnosing prostate cancer and backs up what Black men have been telling us for years about the challenges they face. Now that we have the data there is a moral imperative to urgently address this health equity scandal.
“One big issue is that NHS prostate cancer guidelines for GPs are hugely outdated. In the current guidelines, GPs are told not to start conversations about the pros and cons of PSA testing with men at risk. Instead, it’s up to men to know their risk and start a conversation themselves.
We can't change the fact that Black men are at highest risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, but we can change the fact that they are dying twice as much from a cancer that is treatable if caught early. That's why we’re redoubling our urgent call for the Government to overhaul these outdated NHS guidelines and allow GPs to start conversations about the option of PSA testing with men at the highest risk of prostate cancer.
“The good news is that Black men don’t have to wait for guidelines to change to act. You have the right to a PSA blood test for free from your GP. If you’re Black or you have a family history of prostate cancer, check your risk using our free online Risk Checker [https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker], or speak to your GP about a regular test from the age of 45.”
Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE, Consultant Urologist at Bart’s Health NHS Trust, said: “It’s about time that we had this data from the NPCA – there’s a desperate need to better understand why Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer in the UK and take actions to save lives.
“The disparity that we can see from this data is shocking, and deeply disappointing. This is a consequence of current NHS guidelines; these guidelines treat all men the same, regardless of the fact that some individuals – Black men in this instance – have higher than average risk of prostate cancer.
“These guidelines need to be updated now. Diagnosing prostate cancer has never been safer, so guidelines should change to make it clear which men are most at risk of this disease, like Black men, and to allow their doctors to start talking to them about getting tested. Some men don’t come forward to their GPs because they think they’ll be invited as part of routine tests – when this simply isn’t true. The sooner the guidelines change, the sooner we can start saving more lives.”
The government has a target that 75% of cancers are diagnosed at stage 1 and 2 because at these stages they are easier to treat. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later stage will need far more extensive treatments which come with a bigger burden of side effects, and for men diagnosed at stage 4 their cancer is treatable, but not curable.
Further research is now needed to find more evidence and answer crucial questions about the root causes of these inequities and how to solve them. That’s why Prostate Cancer UK is investing £1m into Real World Evidence for Health Equities in Prostate Cancer, which will fund data-based research to find timely, cost-effective solutions that can help shift outdated national policies, improve care, and reduce health inequalities in prostate cancer now.
Alex Wheatle MBE, 61, is an award-winning author. He was diagnosed in prostate cancer in February 2023 and says: “I’ll never forget when I was told I had prostate cancer. I just couldn't comprehend it straight away. Not only did I have prostate cancer, but my cancer had already spread to my bone marrow. My first thought was how to tell my family.
“I know that, sadly, my story isn't uncommon – 1 in 4 Black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. But these shocking new stats also reveal that I’m sadly not alone in being diagnosed at a later stage, and that in fact this is all too common for Black men. It’s completely unfair and unjust that Black men are at higher risk of being diagnosed at later stages when the cancer can’t be cured.
“I can’t help but wonder if things would have been different for me if my doctor had been able to speak to me earlier about my increased risk of prostate cancer. I worry about my own sons too, as I know it’s up to them to know their risk and bring it up themselves. I’d feel better if I knew that their doctors would raise it with them and give them the opportunity to be tested as early as possible.
“There’s no question – NHS guidelines must change to allow GPs to start have life-saving conversations with Black men about their increased risk of prostate cancer and their options for testing.
“We can’t keep allowing Black men to die because they’re diagnosed so late. Please sign Prostate Cancer UK’s letter and let Wes Streeting know that guidelines must be updated urgently.”
https://prostatecanceruk.org/
