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Duke Health News

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Prostate cancer strikes African Americans harder than any other group. Not only do African-American men have a 60 percent higher incidence of the disease, their mortality rate from prostate cancer is twice as high as that of Caucasian men.

A new study at Duke University Medical Center is looking at some of the symptoms and problems that commonly arise for African Americans following treatment for prostate cancer.

"We recognize that African-American men have not been big consumers of psychological services after prostate treatment. Our task is to assist men to better cope with and communicate about issues of incontinence, erectile dysfunction and pain following surgical intervention or radiation intervention for prostate cancer," says psychologist Christopher L. Edwards, Ph.D., one of the principal investigators for the study.

Edwards says study participants will be selected based on several criteria, including medical history, socioeconomics and access to health care.

"We're trying to bridge some of the gaps by actively recruiting men in many venues, using many modalities of recruitment," he says.

Edwards hopes the study findings will help physicians and other health care providers better assist African-American men and their spouses or partners to cope with the after-effects of prostate cancer.

Since the study is phone-based and nationwide, men from anywhere in the country can participate. Men interested in participating in the study should call 919-681-9090.