Physician-patient discussions with african american men about prostate cancer screening

Am J Mens Health. 2008 Jun;2(2):156-64. doi: 10.1177/1557988307309323. Epub 2007 Dec 5.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer killer in men. Men in general and African American men in particular face crucial decisions regarding prostate cancer screening and perhaps treatment for this disease. Major health organizations agree that men should discuss prostate cancer screening with their physicians or other health care professionals. The purpose of the study was to examine sociodemographic and other correlates of physician-patient discussions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test among African American men aged 40 or older. A majority of African American men reported having discussed the advantages and disadvantages of prostate cancer screening and/or testing with their physicians before ordering it, and physician-patient discussions about the PSA test were associated with increased screening in African American men. Inasmuch as African American men have greater prostate cancer incidence and mortality over other groups, future attempts should be made to find meaningful correlates of PSA screening and test use to help reduce the burden of this disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Communication
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Educational Status
  • Health Education / organization & administration
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / standards*
  • Mass Screening / trends
  • Men's Health
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Odds Ratio
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Prostate-Specific Antigen / blood
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / ethnology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Survival Analysis
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Prostate-Specific Antigen