Former President Joe Biden’s recent diagnosis of aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer is a stark reminder that the disease remains a significant threat to all men’s health.

Thomas A. Farrington
President, Prostate Health Education Network
The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) focuses on educating and urging Black men to talk with their doctors about prostate cancer early detection screening. More men are now diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer because, like President Biden, they forego screening and only get tested when symptoms appear.
A common disease with unequal impact
Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer among American men, relative to any other major cancer. The American Cancer Society projects 313,780 new U.S. cases and 35,770 deaths in 2025. Overall, 1 in 8 men will develop the disease during their lifetime. The burden is heavier on Black men, who are diagnosed at a rate more than 70% higher and who are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. 1 in 6 Black men will face the disease.
Why early detection matters in addressing the racial disparity
When prostate cancer is found while it is still inside the prostate, the 5-year survival rate approaches 100%. Once the cancer spreads to distant organs or bone, survival drops sharply; only about 37% of men live 5 years, and fewer than 1 in 5 ten years. President Biden’s advanced case underscores how much difference timing can make. However, with the increasing number of therapeutic options, men with metastatic prostate cancer are living longer.
The new NCCN guidance for Black men
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) updated its guidance in 2025, which recommends that men:
- Start the conversation early. Men at average risk should begin discussing PSA screening with their doctors at age 45. Black men, men with a strong family history, and those who carry high-risk genetic mutations should start at age 40.
- Screen through age 75. Routine screening is recommended up to age 75 for men who expect to live at least ten more years.
- After 75, personalize the plan. Healthy men who meet the ten-year life-expectancy mark should decide with their physicians whether to keep testing.
- Use shared decision-making. The PSA blood test saves lives, but it can also lead to unnecessary biopsies and treatment. A frank discussion of benefits and risks helps each man choose the right path.
Managing survivorship is important
According to estimates from the American Cancer Society, more than 3 million men are living with prostate cancer as survivors. With Black men suffering a death rate more than twice that of all other men, managing survivorship is critically important following treatment. Here are four steps that PHEN suggests men should take.
- Monitor your PSA. Understand what your PSA level should be following treatment with your doctor, and establish a schedule for regular PSA testing. Early detection of a cancer recurrence is critical.
- Knowledge is your best defense. Join a support group of survivors for in-person or online meetings and educational sessions to stay abreast of new treatments and to learn from other survivors.
- Consider clinical trials. If you have a cancer recurrence, consider clinical trials as a treatment option. They could be your best option, and there could be significant cost benefits.
- Spread the word. Encourage fathers, brothers, sons, friends, and church members to get informed and get screened.
Learn more by visiting PHEN’s free online resources at PHENPSA.com (early detection), PHENPath.com (treatments), and PHENTrials.com (clinical trials). For information on PHEN’s national education and awareness programs, visit Rapcancer.org.