AUA's Urology Practice Publishes PHEN's Peer-Reviewed Study: Black Men Not Being Asked to Participate in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials

QUINCY, Mass., Jan. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN), an organization with a mission to eliminate the African American prostate cancer disparity, announced that its peer-reviewed manuscript titled Identification of Factors Affecting the Accrual of Black Males Into Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials in the United States was published in the American Urological Association's (AUA) Urology Practice journal on January 1, 2025.

One out of six Black males are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes, which is nearly 80% higher than all other men. This disease is also twice as likely to kill African American men as all other males.

Essentially, Black men in the United States have the largest incidence and mortality rates from prostate cancer as compared to all other men but do not have significant participation in prostate cancer clinical trials. Black people represent only 5% to 7% of clinical trial subjects in the United States despite 14.4% of the US population being Black.

The PHEN manuscript was based on a survey of members and participants about their experiences with prostate cancer clinical trials. The survey sought potential reasons for the inadequate participation in these clinical trials among African American men. In total, 115 men completed the survey out of 480 members contacted. The survey takers were diverse in terms of education, location, socioeconomic status, and age.

The main finding and conclusion from the peer-reviewed study is that Black males are not taking part in prostate cancer clinical trials because they are not being asked. PHEN study authors hope this finding will bring greater collaboration between the patients, healthcare providers, and clinical trial investigators to ensure more Black men can enroll in prostate cancer clinical trials.

"Prostate cancer patients can gain life-saving treatments from clinical trials," said Dr. Keith Crawford, primary study author and PHEN Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education. "A key goal for PHEN is to increase African American participation in clinical trials. Tailored clinical trials have the potential to transform prostate cancer care, decreasing side effects and improving the overall quality of life for each patient."

PHEN provides online resources for patients to learn more about prostate cancer clinical trials and personalized treatments. Additionally, PHEN offers a Find Your Trial (FYT) search tool for patients to find relevant prostate cancer trials in their regions. Visit PHENTrials.com and PHENPM.com to learn more about clinical research.

About PHEN
The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) was founded in 2003 by Thomas A. Farrington, a prostate cancer survivor, with a mission to eliminate the prostate cancer racial disparity, which is the largest for any significant cancer for men or women. Working with community partners, PHEN implements national initiatives for prostate cancer awareness, early detection screening, treatment options, and clinical trials.

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SOURCE Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN)