Shining a Light on Black Men’s Prostate Cancer Risk: ‘Men Beating the Odds’ Films Spotlight Survivors from NBA Legend Alonzo Mourning to Everyday Heroes Making a Difference

Mourning says that conversation saved his life, and now he’s determined to pay it forward.

“We’re gonna save a lot of families. We’ll save a lot of lives, and we’ll change these statistics,” Mourning added.

Those statistics remain stark for Black men in America.

According to 2026 data from the American Cancer Society (ACS), Black men face prostate cancer death rates two to four times higher than other men.

Survival is lower for Black patients across nearly every cancer type, even when stage and socioeconomic status are the same. The ACS points to unequal access to high‑quality care, which includes screening, diagnosis, and treatment, as the biggest driver of this divide.

A 2024 study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood increased the likelihood of aggressive prostate cancer by 30% for Black men, but had no effect on white men, which suggests race‑specific stressors and systemic inequities play a major role.

Mourning’s own diagnosis came on February 23, 2024, just four years after a life‑changing conversation about men’s health. He had no symptoms. A routine protein-specific antigen (PSA), which helps screen for prostate cancer, led to an MRI, then a biopsy that confirmed he had an aggressive prostate cancer that required surgery. He underwent a prostatectomy, which removes the prostate, in March 2024.

“I’ve tried to find the positive in every adversity I’ve gone through,” Mourning said.

“It’s taken me some time to figure out how I can turn this negative situation into something positive,” the basketball legend continued.

Today, Mourning is doing exactly that, using his platform, his foundation, and his story to push for awareness, equity, and hope for the men who need it most.

How Other Influential Men Are Helping Raise Awareness Within Black Communities

Longtime ESPN sports anchor Jay Harris, 61, decided to publicly share his prostate cancer diagnosis after encouragement from his wife.

Leading up to his diagnosis, his doctor noticed his PSA levels were higher than normal in November 2024. A follow-up visit to a urologist in February 2025, where a digital rectal exam was performed, ultimately prompted him to get an MRI.

RELATED: PSA Test Is Not Perfect, But It Is Helpful

“Men just don’t talk about prostate cancer. Men don’t talk about anything, especially if it involves illness, if it’s sports, if it’s golf …they’ll talk about that, but they won’t talk about their own bodies and the things that they’re going through,” Harris’ wife Stephanie tells SurvivorNet, referring to what led her to urge him to share his story.

“So speaking out was really important.”

St. Louis native Mellve Shahid used his journey to uplift and empower others. He created an organization dedicated to education, support, and early detection.

“Too many men are dying from a preventable disease, and too many men are being diagnosed without any support. In the St. Louis community, [The] Empowerment Network (TEN) is hands down without a doubt the St. Louis gift,” Shahid told SurvivorNet.

After a 2001 tornado destroyed Roosevelt Greenwood’s home and he lost his job as a school principal, his luck hit a crescendo when he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.

However, ten years after a metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis, Greenwood, 57, is living what he calls an “answered prayer,” as advances in treatment keep him going. He also credits a large chunk of his success to his wife helping him every step of the way.

“She encouraged me then, and she encourages me now,” Greenwood says. “… There was no thought of us not going through this process together. We were going to go through it together, and we were going to beat it together, and that’s just what we did.”

Discover more stories like Greenwood, Mellve, Harris, and Mourning on “Men Beating The Odds” – an inspiring series that shares the powerful stories of men overcoming prostate cancer and redefining what it means to survive.

Prostate Health Among Black Men

Since Black men tend to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at younger ages compared to other racial groups, the new guidelines state Black men should consider screening at 40 years old since this demographic group is regarded as a “high-risk population.”

WATCH: How to Address Racial Disparities in Cancer Care

The “New England Journal of Medicine” highlights that Black men are at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. Researchers, consisting of primary care, urology, medical and radiation oncology, translational science, and patient advocates, reviewed 287 studies using systematic review protocols to develop prostate cancer screening guidelines specific to Black men.

They determined, for Black men (higher-risk):

• Prostate cancer tends to develop 3–9 years earlier in Black men.
• Early discussions about PSA screening should begin in the early 40s.
• Baseline PSA testing between the ages of 40 and 45 is recommended.
• Continued screening until age 70, adjusted for PSA levels and health status, could reduce mortality by roughly 30% without a major overdiagnosis risk.

“Few guidelines have outlined specific recommendations for prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based prostate cancer screening among Black men,” researchers for Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) said in its report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

“Discussions with health care providers about baseline PSA testing should begin by the time Black men are in their early 40s, and modeling data suggest prostate cancer develops 3-9 years earlier in Black men compared to their peers. Lowering the age for baseline PSA testing from 50-55 years to 40-45, followed by regular screening intervals until the age of 70, would reduce prostate cancer mortality in Black men,” the PCF said in its report.

RELATED: Black Men May Be More Susceptible To Advanced Cancer Due to Biomarkers in the DNA, Study Says

SurvivorNet holds an annual Close the Gap conference to educate, spread awareness, and ultimately work to eliminate racial disparities in cancer care. Our efforts aim to ensure everyone has access to education about cancer, screening recommendations, treatment options, clinical trials, and more.

Prostate Cancer Screening and Warning Signs

When you do get screened for prostate cancer, your doctor will run a few tests.

One of the tests is the protein-specific antigen (PSA) test, a simple blood test that screens for prostate cancer. It looks for more significant amounts of protein-specific antigen in the blood. An elevated PSA test does not always mean you have prostate cancer. It could also reflect that your prostate is enlarged, which is common, or it could signal an infection or inflammation.

Your doctor may also conduct a digital rectal exam (DRE) to check your prostate for lumps.

Depending on the results of these tests, imaging scans and a biopsy may be ordered.

WATCH: How Gleason Grade Determines Treatment

Prostate cancer does not always behave the same in every man it impacts. The cancer can be considered “low-risk” and can be slow-growing, and treatment might not be necessary. In other men, the cancer may grow faster or more aggressively, requiring more immediate treatment. Because of this, there is some debate about screening.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men at average risk between the ages of 55 and 69 years talk with their doctor about the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men at age 50 who are at average risk should begin screening. Men who are at high risk of prostate cancer should begin screening at age 40. Men with a close relative diagnosed with prostate cancer should consider annual screenings in their 30s.

SurvivorNet experts suggested that men consider factors like their family history, genes, and age when deciding whether and when to screen.

Symptoms of prostate cancer may include:

• Urinating more often
• Waking up in the middle of the night to pee
• Blood in your urine
• Trouble getting an erection
• Pain or burning when you urinate
• Pain in your back, hips, thighs, or other bones
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue

If You’re Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer, What to Expect for Treatment?

After testing and establishing your risk, your doctor will discuss possible treatment options. These may range from active surveillance to more aggressive options, including surgery and radiation therapy.

WATCH: Coping emotionally after a prostate cancer diagnosis

Surgery is an option for men with any risk group of prostate cancer that hasn’t spread outside of the prostate gland. The type of surgery most often used is called a radical prostatectomy.

During the procedure, the surgeon removes the entire prostate, along with some tissue around it, including the seminal vesicles that release fluid into the semen. Your doctor can perform this through a traditional open procedure with one large or several small incisions, called laparoscopic surgery.

WATCH: Sexual Function Recovery After Prostate Cancer Surgery

Surgery side effects may include erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Fortunately, the side effects are usually temporary, and there are ways to help you manage them.

“Erectile function is so sensitive when we’re dealing with prostate cancer because the nerves that are critical for this function wrap around the prostate; they’re just so intimately connected to the prostate that they can be damaged from a surgical removal of the prostate or through radiation treatment,” Dr. Isla Garraway, a staff urologist in the Veterans Administration (VA) Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, told SurvivorNet.

Doctors often recommend sexual counseling after prostate cancer treatment to help improve sexual function. This approach actively addresses the psychological, emotional, and relationship impacts on sexual health.

Radiation therapy is often done when prostate cancer is caught early and confined to the prostate gland.

Finding Resources And Support

For patients and families navigating prostate cancer or another serious illness like a cancer diagnosis, gaining access to new treatment or trials can feel overwhelming. That’s why SurvivorNet encourages patients to use its proprietary Clinical Trial Finder, a free tool designed to help patients identify relevant trials quickly and easily.

Every year, new early-phase studies come online, each one representing another step forward in disease management.

SurvivorNet’s AI-powered “My Health Questions” tool was also built with patient needs in mind, to give patients and their caregivers access to health information vetted by professionals right when they need it.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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