African American men have increased risk of prostate cancer

African American men have an increased risk of prostate cancer and are two times more likely than Caucasian American men to die from the disease. Despite recent questions about the overall usefulness of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing to detect prostate cancer, should PSA screening be used to detect early-stage disease to help save lives in this at-risk population? The controversy is explored in a Review article in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Men's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jomh.

In the Review "PSA Screening for the African American Male: When and Why?" Tyler Luthringer, Ilija Aleksic, Vladimir Mouraviev, and David Albala, Associated Medical Professionals of NY, PLLC, and SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, support the American Urological Association's position that early detection of prostate cancer should include multiple parameters to assess personal risk. Together with their physicians, men should decide on an individualized approach to risk assessment and screening, which may include PSA testing and digital rectal examination.