The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of Americans unemployed and without health insurance. The negative socio-economic and health repercussions of the pandemic are disproportionately affecting Black Americans, which will compound the current impact of prostate cancer on Black men, says Thomas Farrington (above), president and founder of the Prostate Health Education Network and a prostate cancer survivor.
As a result of delayed care due to the pandemic, we can expect to see greater rates of prostate cancer morbidity and mortality in the years to come. The delay in treatment is likely to exacerbate the disparate impact of prostate cancer on Black men.
The Biden administration must increase access to quality prostate cancer health care in the fight toward health equity. If barriers to prostate cancer care are not addressed, it will result in greater health expenditures in the future and worse health outcomes for Black men, while worsening current health disparities.
See “The Biden Administration Must Increase Access to Prostate Cancer Care for Black Men” by Thomas Farrington on the Morning Consult website (February 16, 2021)