Investigating WhatsApp’s Role in Prostate Cancer Prevention for Black Men

Researchers are exploring whether WhatsApp group chats can contribute to saving the lives of black men susceptible to prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Research indicates that one in four black men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, a rate higher than one in eight white men and one in 13 men of other ethnicities. Steve Khaireh, a Cardiff community worker involved in the study, notes that many individuals are unaware of this elevated risk, adding that “they don’t listen to health professionals”. Currently, Dr Sarah Fry is spearheading research in Cardiff, collaborating with men to evaluate the effectiveness of disseminating health information via WhatsApp to at-risk populations. Julian Delaney from Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, expresses gratitude for receiving encouragement to get tested from a non-medical professional. In 2016, Mr. Delaney, then 73, attended a Rotary Club talk where he was prompted to undergo a test, initiating a sequence of events he had not anticipated. Despite experiencing no symptoms, he admits to having believed cancer “wouldn’t happen to him”. He explains, “When people tell you you’ve got prostate cancer it terrifies you.” He further states, “But I asked a lot of questions, I researched and spoke to as many people I could.” Julian opted for a prostatectomy and has remained cancer-free since. Following his experience, the former British Gas worker advised his three brothers to get tested, even needing to instruct one to revisit his GP after being told a test was unnecessary. He observes, “It’s a lack of knowledge in a lot of cases, they say to ask questions but if you don’t know the questions to ask, you’re stuck.” Dr. Fry’s study was inspired by her tenure as a research nurse at Velindre Cancer Centre, where she observed a scarcity of black men in her clinics. She has now secured funding from Cancer Research UK for this small pilot project. The project will be community-led by men, building on her prior research which suggested that men from diverse ethnic communities were more receptive to health information shared among friends. She remarked, “Having information between friends was more effective than a GP sharing it, they were more likely to say ‘ooh perhaps this is something I need to think about’.” Dr. Fry also mentioned her PhD work, stating, “When I did my PhD I also worked with groups of white men and they were much more open in saying ‘I have this wrong with me, I’ve sought help individually’ rather than we need to help each other.” Should the pilot prove successful, there is an aspiration for it to be expanded and eventually integrated with a national screening programme. Steve, who operates in the Grangetown, Riverside, and Butetown areas of the capital, will be organizing one of the messaging groups. He articulated that the approach is logical on multiple fronts: “Most health professionals speak proper Queen’s English but what you find in our community is there are a variety of slang languages that people speak, street language – that’s really important in getting the message across in a language they understand.” Regardless of the communication method, he believes the fundamental message remains constant: “If you’re over 50, get tested. Simple.”