Every medical school textbook lists three risk factors for developing prostate cancer: age, family history, and race. Specifically, Black men (i.e. those of African ancestry) are at increased risk. On the population level, Black men are ~67% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than White men. When it comes to aggressive cancers, however, the picture is less clear. Yes, Black men are 2 to 2.5 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than White men. Does that mean the disease is more aggressive or does that reflect poorer access to care and less aggressive treatments? Increasing data suggest that though on the population level among men with prostate cancer, Black men are more likely to die when given equal access and equal treatments, outcomes among men with localized disease are similar between Black and White men. What about men with advanced disease – specifically those with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)? Several studies from the United States found that among men with mCRPC, survival was actually better for Black men vs. White men. The question is whether these findings (more cancers, equal aggressiveness, but better survival in mCRPC) are unique to the United States, or can the results be replicated in other countries too?

X