Physician-patient discussions with african american men about prostate cancer screening.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cancer killer in men. Men in general and African American men in particular face crucial decisions regarding prostate cancer screening and perhaps treatment for this disease. Major health organizations agree that men should discuss prostate cancer screening with their physicians or other health care professionals. The purpose of the study was to examine sociodemographic and other correlates of physician-patient discussions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test among African American men aged 40 or older. A majority of African American men reported having discussed the advantages and disadvantages of prostate cancer screening and/or testing with their physicians before ordering it, and physician-patient discussions about the PSA test were associated with increased screening in African American men. Inasmuch as African American men have greater prostate cancer incidence and mortality over other groups, future attempts should be made to find meaningful correlates of PSA screening and test use to help reduce the burden of this disease.