Letter: Austin missed chance for prostate-cancer message
We just learned on Tuesday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on Dec. 22, 2023, for a surgical removal of the prostate for a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Austin’s spokesperson said he had not wanted to reveal his medical situation because it was “obviously deeply personal.”
Austin is entitled to his privacy regarding his diagnosis, but it is all too common among men with his condition. He is a public figure and a frank revelation of his condition could have positively influenced many other men, especially African-American men in his age bracket, to seek medical advice for possible prostate cancer screening and detection.
The 2023 American Cancer Society estimate is that there are 288,000 new prostate cancer cases and 35,000 deaths. The incidence of prostate cancer in African-American men is 70% higher than white men for reasons that are unclear at this time. Overall, it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the U.S., trailing only lung cancer.
Hence, Austin could have done a beneficial public service for men in the U.S. by being more open on his diagnosis and ultimate resolution.
Paul Mizue
President, Hawaii Prostate Cancer Coalition
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