New study finds higher prostate cancer risk among immigrant men from Caribbean

BY PAUL JUNOR

The incidence of prostate cancer has been a major concern among health experts and health officials in the health care system. Thanks to the work of Dr. Aisha Lofters and The Walnut Foundation for pushing the issue of prostate cancer to the forefront of medical attention.

Dr. Lofters was part of a ground-breaking study that made it to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) Open. The Walnut Foundations’ mission is to be the leader in Men’s Health Support that empowers men to be responsible for their health. They are known by the Quality of Information and Best Practices they demonstrate and share.

They empower males with the information they share. They were founded in 2007 by Dr.Winston Isasc who was honoured with a bench at Loafer’s Lake Recreation Centre in Brampton on Saturday, July 16^th, 2022.

The seven key messages The Walnut Foundation feels are pivotal to men’s health are:

• Know your family history: especially for diabetes, high blood pressure, prostate cancer
• Get screened early: the key to early treatment
• Get to know your doctor: develop a good relationship with a family doctor and follow advice
• Know your numbers: keep track of blood pressure, blood sugar, and PSA levels
• Participate in research: join research studies and clinical trials
• Join a men’s health group: partake and share in a community of like-minded people
• Donate: make a difference today in search of better cures

Details about this important study titled, “Prostate cancer incidence among immigrant men in Ontario, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study,” was released by Strategic Communications of Women’s College Hospital on November 1^st. It was led by Dr. Aisha Lofters, family physician, scientist, and Chair in Implementation Science at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Women’s Cancer located at Women’s College Hospital (WCH).

The study revealed that immigrants from the Caribbean and West Africa had higher incidences of prostate cancer compared to immigrants from other places as well as long-term residents in Ontario. Men had a 171% and 90% higher chance of developing prostate cancer while men from South Asia had lower incidence compared to other men. Dr. Lofters states, “Prostate cancer is common worldwide, but its patterns are different in different countries and parts of the world. Prostate cancer is not a death sentence and can be caught early if we’re vigilant. Identifying men who may be at higher risk helps us all to be alert and bear this diagnosis in mind when symptoms occur, or to be especially vigilant if a man has a family history of prostate cancer, for example.”

I interviewed Kenneth Noel, President of the Walnut Foundation who is also a prostate cancer survivor and certified peer support navigator on the benefits of this vital study. He mentioned that the lack of race-based data is a challenge in ensuring that the issue of prostate cancer among Black men received priority from the health -care system.

He states that this is the first Canadian study that shows that Black men are impacted differently and require a higher standard of care with respect to how they are treated. There is a need for: increased awareness about the magnitude of the problem, more dialogue between healthcare providers, better support and equitable prostate cancer screening. Noel emphasizes that the benefit of this study is its potential to bring awareness. He notes, “We can then use this data to raise awareness among the community who would encourage their Black patients to get tested early, especially if there’s a family history of prostate cancer.”