As a Black man in my mid-40s and a researcher in ethnic inequalities in cancer diagnosis, I read Steve McQueen’s story with both personal and professional interest (‘My father’s death saved my life’: director Steve McQueen on grief, gratitude and getting cancer, 5 April). His advocacy for early detection is powerful – but the article would benefit from important nuance regarding prostate cancer diagnosis and race/ethnicity.
Black men typically have higher baseline PSA levels – a biological variation that is rarely acknowledged and can lead to overdiagnosis if universal thresholds are applied. Moreover, UK data show that Black men are less likely to present with advanced-stage prostate cancer compared with white men.
