Targeted Prostate Health Check community feedback project
Supported by a PPI Small Grant from the Centre for Public Engagement (CPE), this project aimed to tackle ethnic disparities in prostate cancer outcomes by working with grassroots organisations to improve outreach, shape the Targeted Prostate Health Check (TPHC) clinic, and embed community feedback into efforts to boost screening uptake.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK, accounting for 27 per cent of all cancer diagnoses each year. Multiple studies have shown that there are significant ethnic differences in the burden of prostate cancer in the UK. Black men (that is, men of Black Caribbean and Black African heritage) face a particularly increased risk, with a two to three times higher incidence rate and double the mortality rate compared to White men.
The Targeted Prostate Health Check (TPHC) clinic was a clinic service created by the Northeast London Cancer Alliance (NELCA) to help address these disparities that ran from February to September 2024. The aim was to promote the early detection of prostate cancer through targeted case finding in men at higher risk (men from Black ethnic groups aged 45-69, and men of any ethnicity with a family history of prostate cancer aged 45-69).
One of the key challenges in delivering prostate cancer screening is historically low uptake, especially among Black men. To better tailor our messaging and increase uptake among Black men, we partnered with a grassroots Black men’s advocacy group called Tottenham Rights. Prostate cancer is an area of particular concern for the group, as many members have friends or family affected by the condition.
Tottenham Rights provided invaluable insights, helping us identify barriers to uptake such as mistrust of Western healthcare, lack of representation, health related aversion, and low awareness that early-stage prostate cancer is often asymptomatic. These reflections were captured in a recent article, coauthored by one of the participants, helping raise broader awareness of the specific challenges Black men face in accessing prostate cancer testing in the UK. We also used these insights to inform our clinic invitations strategy, including amending the wording to clarify that we are ‘targeting’ Black men, emphasising that a prostate examination is not required, and incorporating a video from Prostate Cancer UK featuring Black representation to explain the increased risk in Black men.
With the support of the QMUL PPI grant, we hosted a focus group with 17 attendees to:
(i) raise awareness about prostate cancer risk in Black men and the importance of PSA testing
(ii) share how their feedback meaningfully shaped our communication strategy
(iii) discuss clinic outcomes, including the effectiveness of different invitation approaches in promoting uptake amongst Black men
(iv) explore future collaboration, particularly on how to address the underrepresentation of Black men in prostate cancer screening trials
We also found the PPI session invaluable in building trust and strengthening our relationship with the group, laying the foundation for continued collaboration. Crucially, we received positive feedback from participants who expressed that it was especially meaningful to see how their contributions had directly contributed towards efforts to tackle ethnic health disparities in the region. We hope that this recognition will encourage continued engagement from the men in future initiatives.
Muhammad Haider
Email: muhammad.haider@qmul.ac.uk