Political provocateurs are determined to stir up controversy over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s failure to tell President Biden about his treatment for prostate cancer. Yet, his desire to keep the matter private—and out of the public eye—is in line with what many men, particularly men of color, have done for decades.
The reluctance to share details of a medical condition is understandable, but prostate cancer is a silent killer in the Black community, and the time has come to give it a voice.
In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose son Dexter recently passed from prostate cancer, “I ask: How long? How long will Men of color suffer in silence and die alone? How long will too many brothers hide their plight?”
When he finally commented publicly about his condition, Austin regretted keeping silent and made a significant pledge. He said that by not initially disclosing his diagnosis, he “missed an opportunity to send a message on an important public health issue” while noting the prevalence of prostate cancer, particularly among Black men.
Encouraging all men to get screened, Austin promised, “You can count on me to set a better example on this issue today and for the rest of my life.”
Data from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City shows that more than 13 percent of African American men between the ages 45 and 79 will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. And Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing prostate cancer than white men.
These figures are appalling when considering that prostate cancer is one of the most treatable forms of the disease, with the five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with it being greater than 99 percent if the cancer is detected during the early stage.
While there are numerous reasons why this disparity between Black and white men exists—decades of structural racism, environmental issues, certain comorbidities, different molecular pathways in the body of Black men—a great deal of the reason comes down to the fact that Black men are disproportionately not being screened for prostate cancer as early or as regularly as white men.
Given his platform as Secretary of Defense, I am happy that Austin recognized his duty to be open and honest about his battle with this disease. In doing so, he now joins groups and individuals already working on spreading awareness for prostate screenings, which can act as guideposts.
For example, Mount Sinai Medical Center recently unveiled the Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit, which will visit New York City neighborhoods where men could be at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.
The mobile home-sized bus is named after the African American philanthropist and venture capitalist who donated almost $4 million to launch the program.
Thankfully, there are individuals like Smith and now Austin who use their platforms to spread awareness of this deadly—yet very treatable—form of cancer and ensure that more people don’t die needlessly.
Hamil R. Harris is an award-winning journalist and contributing writer for the NNPA.
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