Prostate Cancer UK has raised concerns that black men in the UK are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer due to outdated NHS guidelines and systemic health inequities. The charity is urging the government to update these guidelines so that black men, who are at higher risk, are proactively informed about the disease and encouraged to undergo regular screening.
The charity highlights that black men have higher rates of later diagnosis compared to other groups, and statistics show that they are 14% less likely to receive life-saving treatments approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) when diagnosed in their 60s. Prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men, is curable if detected early, but it often has no symptoms in the initial stages.
The National Prostate Cancer Audit State of the Nation Report 2025 revealed that while 295 in every 100,000 white men aged 65 to 84 are diagnosed with stage 3 or stage 4 prostate cancer annually, the rate for black men in the same age group is 440 per 100,000. Additionally, one in four black men will develop prostate cancer, and they have twice the risk of dying from it compared to other men.
Keith Morgan, associate director of black health equity at Prostate Cancer UK, emphasized the need for immediate action: “We know that black men are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer, but this new data shows that if you’re black, the odds are currently stacked even higher against you.”
The charity argues that the current guidelines, which place the responsibility on individuals to seek information about their risk and decide whether to request a blood test, fail to address this inequity and put black men’s lives at risk. Prostate Cancer UK calls for GPs to start conversations with black men from the age of 45, explaining their increased risk and discussing the benefits and drawbacks of the PSA blood test, which can help detect the disease early.
While Prostate Cancer UK advocates for systemic change, Morgan also reassures black men that they do not need to wait for guidelines to be updated in order to act. “Black men don’t have to wait for guidelines to change to act. You have the right to a PSA blood test for free from your GP.”
The charity’s call for health equity is backed by growing evidence, and Morgan asserts that addressing this health inequity is not only a medical issue but a moral imperative.
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