Underserved but Not Out of Reach: 3 Ways to Bridge Care Gaps in Communities to Improve Advanced Prostate Cancer

Men in underserved communities often face barriers to prostate cancer treatment, but real progress can come from understanding the lived experiences and perspectives of patients. Meeting the needs from these communities, including Black, Latino, Indigenous, rural, and other minority populations, doesn’t just start with listening to patients but with turning intentions into action. 

Despite being the second-most common cancer among men in the US, not all men living with prostate cancer have equal access to treatment and care.² Black men have the highest prostate cancer death rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States, more than two times higher than that in White men.³

Prostate cancer has an over 99% survival rate five years out when it is detected in its earlier stages. In the US, we have the capacity to provide patients with a variety of options, but limited access creates a barrier.¹ 

– Leanne Woods-Burnham, PhD, Assistant Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine a historically Black college/university (HBCU) in Atlanta, Georgia

Hispanic men aged 55–69 years face a higher rate of diagnosis and are more likely to experience treatment delays, compared to White men.^4,5 Challenges extend into more rural communities where men with prostate cancer are less likely to receive treatment or make follow-up visits with urologists after undergoing surgery.^6,7

Addressing social determinants of health and dismantling the barriers to care is challenging but through understanding, partnership, and equal access to healthcare closing gaps is possible.

1. Understanding Barriers Facing Underserved Communities 

Across race, ethnicity, and geography, one pattern remains clear: Access to timely, quality prostate cancer care is far from equal. The greatest gap often stems from limited access, mistrust, and discrimination. Closing these gaps requires more than clinical precision, it demands tailored prostate cancer care that fits both the disease and the person behind it, fulfilling the deeply human need to be seen, heard, and respected.

Yaw Nyame, MD, MS, MBA—a surgeon, researcher, and educator at the University of Washington Medicine and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center—insists a personalized, achievable care plan should be made before the start of treatment so the needs of patients and their loved ones are considered even after they’ve left the office. 

Early discussions for treatment options should assess a patient’s home life: Do they have transportation or a person who can transport them? Running water? A support team? Once the realities and foreseeable challenges of a patient have been identified, patient preference and needs for a practical and personalized experience can be incorporated into a treatment plan. It is also important this plan ensures patients have access to the latest innovative treatment options that can potentially benefit overall outcomes. 

2. Respecting and Encouraging the Patient Voice

Preconceived notions, rooted in society as implicit biases, infiltrate prostate cancer care, often unseen but deeply felt in communities that have long been overlooked. In this truth lies the root of improving cancer care for all: Recognizing not only the physical but emotional and environmental needs of every individual. 

Bias can even make a negative impact before the doctor-patient relationship begins. “Sometimes communities have a bad history with your institution. You can’t repair that without real conversations,” says Dr. Nyame. 

He urges clinicians to normalize discussions around physical, social, and emotional needs. When providers acknowledge these perspectives without judgement, it can foster stronger trust and empower patients to speak more openly, ensuring the care team and patient are in sync to deliver the best care that is needed. 

Mistrust in the medical system is real and deeply rooted, especially in Black communities. What’s often overlooked is the other side: When patients place unwavering trust in their providers and don’t feel empowered to speak up or ask questions. That silence can be just as harmful.

– Leanne Woods-Burnham, PhD

Dr. Woods-Burnham recalls a time when a doctor refused to order a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test for her loved one despite her request, based on his risk factors as a Black man with family history of PC.

Cancer is overwhelming, which is why it’s important patients invite a loved one into the conversation to provide an extra set of ears and another voice.

3. Working Together in Communities to Make Equal Care a Reality 

The path forward isn’t in isolated interventions. It’s in a larger vision—a commitment to community-partnered care that values lived experience as much as clinical evidence. 

All boats rise. When we create strong partnerships, we lift the entire system. And when the tide comes in, we all benefit. 

– Yaw Nyame, MD, MS, MBA

It’s a commitment from everyone in the field. That’s why Novartis is proud to partner with ZERO Prostate Cancer’s Blitz The Barriers, working alongside advocates, other experts, and community-based volunteers. Together, we aim to break down obstacles, uplift communities, and lead the way for sustainable interventions through education, patient support, community engagement, and advocacy in communities most in need. “In bringing together teams that have varied expertise, initiatives like ZERO Prostate Cancer’s Blitz The Barriers has the opportunity to move the needle forward to meet the needs of populations who are often overlooked and underserved,” says Dr. Woods-Burnham.

When we understand the challenges underserved communities face and listen to the voices of patients within them, we can overcome barriers to accessing quality advanced prostate cancer care.  

Learn more about Blitz The Barriers to see how Novartis and other community leaders are working together to address the most significant disparities in prostate cancer outcomes through education, support, engagement, and advocacy.