Health

Dr. William Oh Discusses Goals for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

William Oh, MD, chief medical officer of Sema4 and clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, discusses Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and possible reasons for the disparity in prostate cancer diagnoses and mortality.

transcript

What are your goals for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month?

Oh: Apparently, prostate cancer is a very common disease. It is the second most common cancer among men in the United States after skin cancer, and it is also the second leading cause of cancer death. Thus, much is known about the fact that early diagnosis of prostate cancer leads to significantly better outcomes, both in screening tests and in early detection.

I think Prostate Cancer Awareness Month really taps into the public perception of men who may be unaware of their prostate cancer risk. [and making sure they’re] Educated about it, they and their loved ones [so they can] Understand what prostate cancer symptoms and management approaches look like. Because it is so important as a very common cancer, September is dedicated to raising awareness of it.

There is a large disparity in prostate cancer, black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and more likely to die from it. Why is this happening?

Oh: I suspect this will continue to be the subject of active investigation. There are probably multiple reasons why African Americans have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer and an increased risk of dying from it.

At least some of the disparities we know may be biological in nature.We don’t know what causes prostate cancer, but we do know that there is a genetic predisposition. Environmental factors, such as diet and environment, may also play a role. And finally, there is the issue of access to healthcare, which may have contributed.

So, in my opinion, there are probably multiple factors that lead to this disparity, disparity in outcomes. That is why it is of utmost importance to make African American patients, in particular, aware of both the risks and the opportunities for both early detection and intervention.

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Dr. William Oh Discusses Goals for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month