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No matter what source you turn to, the statistics about cancer for Black people—and specifically Black men—are more than a little concerning. 

When it comes to cancer, Black men fare worse than white men. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), they are 6% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 19% more likely to die from the illness than their white counterparts. Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer among Black men, and they are more than twice as likely to die from the disease than all other men. 

Most of these statistics are from resources that show the importance of cancer screening—tests used to help find cancer early, even before a person is experiencing any symptoms. Medical professionals agree that regular cancer screening is the best tool for early detection of cancer, and can help catch cancer before it has spread and could be easier to treat.  

While cancer screening among Black adults ages 50+ doubled between 2000 and 2018, recent research cited by the ACS suggests that the disparity in the quality of screening—ranging from the level of care being provided to patients, to the quality of the information and equipment available at many screening facilities—between Black and white adults continues to grow. The disparity in frequency of screening between Black and white adults also continues to grow. These disparities, which also include a difficulty in accessing screening, have likely impacted the number of individuals whose diagnoses could have come sooner—meaning it has also impacted the rate of success in treating cancer in Black patients.

Unfortunately, this is not a new state of affairs. Years ago, as a medical student at the University of Chicago, Dr Joseph Ravenell, NYU Langone Health, began his career in population health when he assisted his mentor with a focus group of more than 100 Black men, asking how they felt about and defined their health. 

“One of the things we knew is that Black men utilize primary health care less than other groups,” Dr Ravenell says. “And there’s a whole host of reasons for that. But we wanted to actually hear from the men themselves what some of the barriers were.”

Those barriers included the presumed cost of screenings, especially for those who are uninsured; access to screening facilities, which includes everything from distance and transportation to the ability to take time off from work; and a lack of information about how to get screened and how vital cancer screening can be. 

Dr Ravenell’s early work led him to create a community clinic that offered health care resources for Black men. It also laid the foundation for the work Dr Ravenell continues today outside of his practice as a primary care physician.

He recently participated in a community-driven initiative to not only educate Black men about the importance of both prostate and colorectal cancer screenings, but to also help them raise the issue with their doctors, navigate the healthcare system and find resources to deal with the results. To be effective, the initiative needed a hook that would resonate with Black men. 

That hook? Barbershops.

“Our research has shown that Black men maintain a relationship with the same barber for an average of seven years,” he explained. “And because we were focused on Black men, we recognized the importance of those relationships and the value of the barbershop as a safe space.”

Dr Ravenell and his partners recruited community health workers and trained them to become patient navigators. They would spark conversations with barbershop patrons around 45 years old, the age at which the ACS recommends at-risk Black men begin talking to their physicians about cancer screening. The navigators would answer questions about cancer screening; assist with scheduling and transportation to screening and follow-up appointments; and provide resources to help patrons manage their conversations with their doctors.

While the initiative was effective, Dr Ravenell is aware that much remains to be done. Even if this experiment was duplicated in every major city, there would still be a gap in providing such access to resources nationally, especially to those living in rural areas. The internet, he believes, can be a major factor in closing that gap. But in efforts to determine how best to tap into online platforms, Dr Ravenell and his partners stumbled across another limiting factor. 

“What we found was that there was underrepresentation of Black messengers and Black characters in online content, talking about cancer,” he reveals. And though that may seem benign, in light of the history of mistrust of the medical community, that absence of representation can lead to those who need the information most being left unsure about its validity.

Dr Ravenell also discovered that along with underrepresentation, critical information on cancer screenings often wasn’t available on online platforms Black men frequent and rely on most. 

So how do we start to address the cancer screening disparities gap among the Black community? On a broader scale, the systemic barriers that have led to the mistrust and lack of connection many Black people have with the U.S. health care system must be addressed. Health organizations are working to tackle these barriers at the root cause, ensuring people have more equal opportunities to prevent, find, treat and survive cancer. 

For example, the ACS launched the Get Screened campaign, which aims to increase cancer screening rates by raising awareness about the importance of recommended screenings and helping people get on track with their regular screening tests. Novartis, a global health care company, has partnered with the ACS to help bring this message to the Black community. 

Other programs such as Beacon of Hope, an initiative launched by Novartis in partnership with 26 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, are working to create greater diversity, equity and inclusion across the research and development ecosystem. Beacon of Hope is focused on empowering the next generation of Black leaders in health care and improving representation of Black populations in clinical trials, among other goals. 

And what can individuals do to look after their health? 

“Conversations about cancer and cancer screening can be uncomfortable,” Dr Ravenell admits. But he urges all men to ask their primary care physicians any and every question they might have about their cancer risks and the screening processes. He adds that he and others have noted the value of having “interpersonally gifted” community advocates available to help patients in underserved communities navigate the screening and treatment process. “Now we’re working to see how we can digitize that interaction so that we can reach people who can’t just walk down the street to the barbershop.”

The hope, Dr Ravenell says, is to destigmatize cancer screening and reinforce its importance for the community that needs it most. In the meantime, those seeking more information can also head over to cancer.org/get-screened for more information about getting screened and encourage their loved ones to do the same. 

This article is brought to you by Blavity in collaboration with Novartis.

About Novartis

Novartis is reimagining medicine to improve and extend people’s lives. We deliver high-value medicines that alleviate society’s greatest disease burdens, including many types of cancer, through research, development, and novel access approaches. 

Beacon of HopeIn 2021, the company established the Beacon of Hope initiative, a 10-year collaboration with 26 Historically Black Colleges, Universities and Medical Schools, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Coursera, and the National Medical Association, to co-create programs that address the root causes of disparities in health and education, and create greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and trust across the research and development ecosystem. Find out more at https://www.novartis.com/us-en/esg/beacon-hope.