Actor Colin McFarlane Calls for Increased Prostate Cancer Screening, Especially for Black Men
LINCOLNSFIELD, UK – Actor Colin McFarlane is urging men, particularly those of African or Caribbean descent, to participate in a new research trial aimed at improving prostate cancer screening methods. McFarlane, who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer despite exhibiting no symptoms, voiced his concerns about access to testing and the underrepresentation of Black men in vital research.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, but Black men are at significantly higher risk of developing the disease and are more likely to die from it. Current screening guidelines have been a source of debate, with some doctors hesitant to offer PSA tests due to concerns about overdiagnosis and false positives. This hesitancy, coupled with past underrepresentation in research, leaves a critical gap in understanding the disease’s progression and effective treatment for Black men.
Prostate Cancer UK is currently funding the “Transform” trial, designed to establish the safest, most accurate, and cost-effective approach to prostate cancer screening. The trial is actively recruiting men aged 50-74, and crucially, the age limit is lowered to 45 for Black men, acknowledging their increased risk.
“If your between the age of 45 and 70, get hold of Prostate Cancer UK and go on their Transform programme to get this evidence that they say they’re missing,” McFarlane stated, emphasizing the importance of participation in building a more informed understanding of the disease.
Ms. De Biase of Prostate Cancer UK explained the charity’s position, stating they felt it was “safe enough” to proceed with the trial, but acknowledged “deep disappointment” for the Black community. She stressed the need to be “respectful of the science,” adding, “We simply don’t have sufficient evidence, particularly for black men who have been woefully underrepresented in research.”
McFarlane also appealed to general practitioners, urging them not to dismiss men who request PSA tests, even in the absence of symptoms. “I have no pain, I have no symptoms, but I do have prostate cancer. If you wait for pain and symptoms,it’s spread,” he warned,highlighting the frequently enough silent nature of the disease in it’s early stages.
More information about the Transform trial can be found at https://prostatecanceruk.org/research/transform-trial. Highlights from the discussion can be heard on BBC Sounds’ Lincolnshire at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0cjdw6n, and the latest episode of Look North is available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007tp3n.
