Project goes after high risk of prostate cancer and stroke in black men
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Undeterred by evening rush-hour traffic in Oakland, 11 middle-aged black men gathered around a conference table last week to learn more about ways to prevent prostate cancer and stroke.
Pam Panchak, Post-GazetteArlen Thompkins, left, and Mark Massie, both of Penn Hills, learn about reducing the risk of prostate cancer and stroke at Pitt's Center for Primary Care Community-Based Research.
Click photo for larger image.
Throughout the dinner hour, they listened to sobering statistics and tips for healthier living. And often, they asked questions.
One listener wondered how someone could tell if he had prostate cancer. Another asked how stress might relate to stroke risk.
Some lingered to ask more questions after the 90-minute session ended.
Since the free educational sessions were first offered last year, the response has been stronger than expected, said Dr. Janine Janosky, executive director of the Center for Primary Care Community-Based Research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
She said about 14,000 local men have attended similar sessions as part of Innovations in Reducing Stroke and Prostate Cancer in Minority Men, a research project sponsored by the center.
Whether the strong interest results in healthier lifestyle choices remains to be seen. But it should help organizers meet their goal of getting at least 5,000 men to participate in health screenings by the time the project ends next year, she said.
The project, which targets men 35 and older, is funded by a $600,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
It targets prostate cancer and stroke because of their heavy toll on black men, Dr. Janosky said.
During their lifetimes, blacks have about a 1 in 5 chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and about a 1 in 20 chance of dying from it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Allegheny County and Pennsylvania, black men are more than twice as likely as whites to die from prostate cancer.
Reasons for the disparity are not well understood, though researchers have suggested higher rates among blacks could be linked to late detection, perhaps due to lack of awareness of prostate cancer and of the need for routine screening tests.
Death rates from stroke also are higher among blacks, according to the American Stroke Association. Blacks have almost twice the risk of stroke compared to whites; blacks ages 35 to 54 have nearly four times the risk.
Higher rates among blacks of hypertension and diabetes, which increase risk for stroke, may contribute to the disparity.
In an effort to address the problem, the project developed educational materials and began working with community groups to hold information sessions around the area.
Dr. Janosky attributed the strong response, in part, to wide-ranging efforts to promote the free sessions through medical practices, community events and advertising and to hold them in a variety of settings, including church events, farmers' markets and community centers.
At the sessions, organizers help participants find a family doctor if they don't have one, referring those without health insurance coverage to programs that provide care for free or at reduced cost.
Beginning next month, the project also plans to begin holding free exercise and cooking sessions, Dr. Janosky said.
Results from surveys of session participants have been positive, with nine of 10 saying they planned to schedule a doctor's appointment for a prostate exam.
Other research has suggested that men interested in getting screened do not always follow through. Dr. Janosky said the center is working to determine whether participants in the sessions have actually been screened.
Addressing the group gathered around the table last week at the center's headquarters in Oakland, Abi Fapohunda, an educational consultant for the center, noted that certain risk factors, such as age and family history, can't be changed.
But she noted that healthy lifestyle choices such as regular doctor visits, exercise, losing weight and eating better might reduce the risk for prostate cancer or stroke.
Margaret Watson, a research nutritionist for the center, recommended eating more high-fiber foods and less red meat, processed foods and saturated fat. She also recommended reducing salt intake.
Michael Davis, 36, of Garfield, said he learned about the session from a TV ad. He attended to find out more, noting that stroke runs in his family.
Mr. Davis said he planned to cut back on fried food as a result of what he learned.
Mark Massie, 36, of East Hills, said he read about the session in the Pennysaver.
Mr. Massie, a landscaper, said he didn't have a family doctor, "but I plan to get one as a result of this."
He also planned to make some dietary changes, including removing the skin from chicken to reduce his fat intake.
"I hate to," he said, "but that's what I'm going to do."
For more information about Innovations in Reducing Stroke and Prostate Cancer in Minority Men, call 412-383-1000.
First Published September 6, 2006 12:00 am
