African-Americans Fight Prostate Cancer

African-Americans Fight Prostate Cancer

By Stephanie Dedeaux

Every September during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, men of all ethnic groups are reminded to be screened for this disease, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. During the last several years, efforts have increased to encourage screening in African-American men, a group that is 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer.

One such effort is being made through M. D. Anderson's Prostate Outreach Project (POP), an education and screening program in two of Houston's underserved African-American communities that could serve as a national model for other cities.

Launched by Curtis Pettaway, M.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Urology, with support from M. D. Anderson, several private donors and U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, POP has conducted screenings on more than 2,500 men since the program began in June 2003.

In addition to increasing early detection in this high-risk group, the program also is collecting tissue samples that one day might yield clues on how to better detect and treat the disease in African-Americans.

Communities throughout the country might benefit from a lesson POP organizers have learned along the way: that partnerships need to be forged in any African-American community to plant and nurture messages about prostate cancer awareness.

Community involvement key to success

When the POP staff started the program, they expected the demand for prostate cancer screening and education to be overwhelming. They were wrong. Weekly screening and education sessions in two of Houston's largest African-American communities, the Third Ward and Acres Homes, resulted in only a screening average of 10 to 15 men per week during the first year.

"We've learned that simply establishing a program in the community is not sufficient to educate men about prostate cancer," Pettaway says. "We needed community involvement. We had to build trust in the community and establish ourselves as partners - providing a service to the community while still making a contribution to the academic and scientific community."

Program needs to go to the people

In September 2004, POP partnered with Proctor & Gamble, The Links organization, Fiesta Food Stores and TexUs Too!, the Texas chapter of a national prostate cancer support group, to take its program on the road with a mobile outreach unit in observance of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

In one month, POP screened nearly 600 men at Fiesta Food Stores throughout the Greater Houston area.

"We could see that we literally had to meet these men halfway in some cases," Pettaway says. "The motivation to do something good for their health may be there, but if it isn't convenient for them, your message is going to get lost when you're competing against day-to-day issues like work and family commitments that these men also have."

POP was transformed into a mobile screening program that now partners with community and faith-based organizations and remains the only mobile outreach unit in the Greater Houston and Harris County area offering complete prostate cancer screening, as well as cancer awareness education.

Program also involves collecting scientific data

While being mobile has enabled POP to reach more underserved men in the community, the program also has been able to advance another of its major objectives - collecting information to increase the body of knowledge in the scientific community about prostate cancer among African-Americans.

"Potentially, we will have data and tissue specimens on a large group of African-American men that may one day help us determine a genetic predisposition to cancer," Pettaway says.

This information also could be used to potentially test new markers for early detection of the disease among African-Americans. "My colleagues and I are interested in finding new ways of detecting this disease early and are optimistic that future research will have a greater impact on the African-American community as a result of this work," he adds.

Pettaway also believes that working with community doctors to educate them about prostate cancer early detection and treatment options is another way POP can address the problem. Arming the doctors on the frontline with current information and resources will help them advise patients who otherwise might not follow up with an M. D. Anderson physician.