Top Story: What Black men need to know about prostate cancer

Did you know, one in eight men – and one in six black men – will get prostate cancer during their lifetime? While prostate cancer is not typically a topic of conversation, it should be, as prostate cancer outcomes are much higher when caught early on.

Dr. Christopher Warlick, head of the Department of Urology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, spoke to MPR about prostate cancer outcomes, symptoms, risk factors and screening. “Most men end up getting diagnosed in their sixties, but for people who end up having lethal prostate cancer, oftentimes it ends up being manifested earlier than that,” said Dr. Warlick. He recommends that men get their first prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in their 40s or 50s, to catch those with early onset of the disease, as it is likely the disease will be fatal for them. “PSA testing helps us find the disease roughly 6-10 years earlier than we would find it in the absence of PSA testing when people come in with symptoms,” he says.

According to Dr. Warlick, as many men age they may experience lower urinary tract issues, such as an increase in urgency or frequency of urination. While these symptoms are often not prostate cancer, it is still important to get checked out if men are experiencing these symptoms.

You can listen to the full interview here.