While it is not known why Black men are at higher risk for developing early-onset prostate cancer, a new study suggests that family history and genetics could be important. Joseph E. Ravenell, MD, co-leader of the Community Outreach and Engagement Program at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, tells Healthline that multiple factors contribute to prostate cancer disparities in Black men.

“Prior research suggests Black men often have prostate cancer that is more aggressive and is detected at a later stage than prostate cancer in other groups,” says Dr. Ravenell, also an associate professor in the Departments of Population Health and Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “The reasons for these differences are multifactorial, but some prostate cancers in Black men have a different genetic profile from the cancers found in other groups.”

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