A video story about a Native American man’s battle with and coming to terms with his prostate cancer, from the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation is asking everyone to “Step Up For Blue.” “The Step Up For Blue campaign empowers men to take control of their health — and encourages their loved ones to support them…When you Step Up for Blue, you support the 3 million U.S. men living with prostate cancer and the countless families fighting this disease worldwide.” (1)
American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Although prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among all races/ethnicities, American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have the lowest reported rates among all races/ethnicities. However, according to studies, AI/AN men had higher rates of death than some other races/ethnicities from prostate cancer, often because they did not receive cancer treatment. (2) And although AI/ANs may have low rates of reporting on the disease, prostate cancer is still the most common occurring and diagnosed cancer in AI/AN men. (3)
For Elder men, prostate cancer is the most common and the “second leading malignancy in the Western world. The incidence of prostate cancer has steadily increased over the last decade…By 2030, the percentage of men older than 65 years will rise to 19.6% of the population compared with 12.4% population in 2000. Thus, the percentage of men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and those who will require treatment for their malignancy will rise in the coming years.” (4)
What Can You Do
Prostate Cancer Foundation’s website, stepup.pcf.org, is a great resource for information about what you can do to support Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Some ideas include sharing information on social media, providing a donation to fund the cure, and educating others around you about prostate cancer and early detection. You can also visit www.cancer.org to learn more about prostate and other cancers.
This digital story was produced at Fond Du Lac Human Services, with assistance from DigiDreams, LLC, and sponsorship from the American Indian Health User Group and the Outreach and Special Populations Branch of the National Library of Medicine.
Sources
- Prostate Cancer Foundation. (n.d.). Step Up For Blue. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://stepup.pcf.org/
- Fred Hutch. (n.d.). Cancer In Our Communities: American Indians/Alaska Natives and Cancer. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from https://www.fredhutch.org/en/events/cancer-in-our-communities/american-indians-alaska-natives-and-cancer.html#prostate
- Intercultural Cancer Council. (n.d.). Cancer Facts: A American Indians/Alaska Natives and Cancer. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://nebula.wsimg.com/89d7685493014f6906d8b85e29babc01?AccessKeyId=4ECD43F4A65F6DBF7F21&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
- Stangelberger, A., Waldert, M., & Djavan, B. (2008). Prostate Cancer in Elderly Men. Reviews in Urology, 10(2), 111–119. Retrieved September 07, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2483315/
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