First Nations men are more likely to die from prostate cancer than non-First Nations men, according to new University of Alberta research published in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas.
The researchers looked at data from the Alberta Cancer Registry for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1995 and 2022. They found that First Nations men get cancer younger (65.8 vs. 67.8 years), have more severe disease at diagnosis (17.8 per cent with Stage 4 versus 12.2 per cent) and are likely to die younger from prostate cancer (74.4 vs. 78.9 years), whether they live in a rural or urban area.
Their overall chance of death from prostate cancer was also higher (41.5 versus 30.1 deaths per 100,000 population).
“This research exposes hidden inequities in our universal health system and highlights an urgent need for culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led initiatives to support earlier detection, improve access to care and address systemic inequities driving these disparities,” says Patrick Albers, first author and urology resident.
The paper builds on previous work from the same team showing that First Nations men often face more aggressive prostate cancers than non-Indigenous men.