RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (WBKO) – Black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as white men with the severity of the disease coming in a more aggressive form than in other races, according to a study conducted by Cedars Sinai.
This statistic is no stranger to Kwesi Neblett, whose father recently has been diagnosed with Stage IV prostate cancer.
“We understand that even though this is a personal fight, this is also something that is going to it’s going to reverberate throughout the community and not only the community but Kentucky at large,” Neblett said.
Neblett’s father, Charles Neblett is from Russellville and has led a life of activism, as a Civil Rights era Freedom Singer.
Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer as also shown to have a poorer survival rate, and the study explained that improved access to care may be key to solving the matter.
“Fully funded treatment is not about just knowing that you have cancer, it’s about being able to treat that cancer is the key and that’s where the rubber needs to meet the road,” Neblett said.
Kentucky ranks first in the nation for cancer incidence and mortality rates, according to a study published by Hudson et al in The Journal of Rural Health.
The cancer rates in Kentucky have been an area of concern for the commonwealth, prompting Governor Andy Beshear to sign into legislation House Bill 52 in Apri.
This is a cancer prevention bill that eliminates out-of-pocket costs for high-risk men being screened for prostate cancer and other cancer screenings.
“Governor Beshear is doing a good job in making sure that that the testing of prostate cancer is on the docket, but not the treatment,” Neblett said,” because Kentucky has the highest rates of cancer, we need to have the treatments taken care of. So, the cancer will be removed from the body instead of just knowing that the cancer is there.”
Amid his father’s diagnosis, Neblett has made efforts to bring awareness to this health disparity in hopes it will encourage others to get involved in the conversation, and ultimately be the spearhead for change.
“We want more black men to be included in that process and we want to get people more active, especially youth into the voting aspect of it, to vote with those politicians that are going to be putting that, putting those things on the docket,” Neblett said.
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