September 3, 2025
In a new report from the American Cancer Society, mortality rates for prostate cancer are two times higher for Black men compared to White men.
A new report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that while there has been progress on the prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates for men overall, Black men are still disproportionately dying from the disease.
The ACS’ Prostate Cancer Statistics 2025 report shows that mortality rates for prostate cancer are two times higher for Black men compared to White men.
“Our research highlighting the continued increases in prostate cancer incidence and persistent racial disparities underscores the need for redoubled efforts to understand the etiology of prostate cancer and optimize early detection,” said Tylet Kratzer, MPH, associate scientist, cancer surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, and the study’s leas author.
Kratzer added, “At age 50, per ACS guidelines, all men should have a conversation with their healthcare provider about the benefits and harms of screening, but Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer should have that conversation at age 45.”
Why There Are Disparities In Prostate Cancer Mortality in Black Men
According to the ACS, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among men in the U.S., accounting for 30% of male cancers in 2025. It is the second-leading cancer death in men behind lung cancer. The ACS estimates there will be over 313,000 new cases of prostate cancer and more than 35,000 deaths this year.
In the study, researchers found that prostate cancer mortality ranges from 36.9 deaths per 100,000 among Black men to 8.8 among Asian American and Pacific Islander men.
While prostate cancer mortality varies by state, the highest death rates are in Washington, D.C. (27.5 deaths per 100,000) and Mississippi (24.8 deaths per 100,000). Both places have sizable Black populations.
“Our report underscores the need to redouble efforts to optimize early diagnosis that minimizes overdetection and to also ensure those strategies reach Black and Native American communities in particular,” said Rebecca Siegel, MPH, Senior Scientific Director of Cancer Surveillance Research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the report. “All men should have the same opportunity to survive this common cancer.”
One significant reason is out-of-pocket costs such as co-pays prove to be a barrier to accessing early detection.
The federal Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act would waive cost-sharing requirements such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance for prostate cancer screening tests for men with the highest risk of prostate cancer.
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