SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) announced today that actor, comedian and humanitarian Chris Tucker (Rush Hour) will join its National Minority Health Month initiative as a spokesperson to raise awareness about the significant disparities that exist between men of African descent and other ethnicities as well as raise awareness about risk factors associated with the disease. The (PCF), along with Tucker, is encouraging men to "Know the Numbers" by visiting PCF.org to view and download a series of important stats and vital information every man of African descent should know.
Each year, three million men in the U.S. battle prostate cancer – one in nine will be diagnosed. African-American men are 74% more likely to develop prostate cancer in their early 50s and 2.4 times more likely to die of the disease. There are a number of factors contributing to this issue including access to quality medical care, issues of physician mistrust and genetic predisposition. Data also shows that black men are less likely to be advised about cancer screenings and less likely to undergo surgery or chemotherapy.
"It was shocking for me to learn that African-American men have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial and ethnic group in the U.S. for most cancers and that prostate cancer is the number one diagnosed cancer among veterans," said Chris Tucker. "It's imperative that the black community understand the risks and do as much as possible to increase their chances of surviving or even better, preventing the disease by making certain lifestyle changes."