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June 14, 2012

Victor J. LaGroon
Victor J. LaGroon

Chicago Panel Will Discuss Prostate Cancer Facts for Black Men

By Frederick H. Lowe

Thapelo Institute, a Chicago-based organization that educates African-American men about health issues, will host a panel discussion on Saturday about prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among black men.

The discussion, which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, June 16, at Malcolm X College in Chicago, will focus on the latest information and scientific evidence regarding prostate cancer. 

According to the American Cancer Society's booklet “Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans 2009-2010,” prostate cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer among black men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. Lung and bronchus cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among black men.

Based on the cancer society's 2009 estimates, 27,130 black men suffered from prostate cancer and 3,690 died from the disease. African-American men are at a much higher risk for prostate cancer, compared with men in other ethnic and racial groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is based in Atlanta.

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that only men have. It is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. The prostate produces fluid, which is secreted at the time of ejaculation. Prostate cancer occurs when cells do not grow normally, according to the booklet, “Prostate Cancer Screening: A Decision Guide for African Americans,” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The cells divide and create new cells the body does not need, forming a mass of tissue or a tumor, the CDC reports. The abnormal cells sometimes spread to other parts of the body, multiply and cause death.  The booklet's website is http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/pdf/aaprosguide.pdf

Black men can screen for prostate cancer through prostate specific antigen or PSA. An antigen is a substance that evokes the production of one or more antibodies. To complete this test, a physician draws blood from the patient's arm. The physician then checks the blood sample to determine if the antigen falls within a normal range.

The higher the blood PSA level, the more likely a prostate problem is present. But the CDC warns that some prostate glands produce more PSA than others, PSA levels increase with age, and PSA levels tend to be higher in African-American men than in others.  PSA levels also could be affected by certain medical test or procedures, an enlarged prostate or a prostate infection.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Ribbon
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a non-federal panel of medical experts, recently advised healthy men of all ages to forego PSA because the test is not always accurate.  For example, the task force said PSA often detects tiny tumors that pose little threat to the individual.

The group’s warning does not apply to all men, said Victor J. LaGroon, community relations outreach program manager for the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

If a man is experiencing the warning signs of prostate cancer, such as difficulty urinating or if he is a member of a family with a history of the disease, he should take the PSA test, LaGroon said. If the PSA indicates a problem, the next step in testing for prostate cancer is a digital rectal examination.

Men who are concerned about their risk of prostate cancer and men who have been diagnosed with the disease should attend the conference. In addition, physicians who have a patient who has been diagnosed with prostate also should attend.

The half day event is called, “The Prostate and Cancer: Everything You Need to Know.” The panel will include: Dr. Terry Mason, chief medical officer for the Cook County Health and Hospital Systems; Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, chief executive officer of Vanguard/Weiss Memorial Hospital; Dr. Clement Rose, Illinois Division Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society; Dr. Durado Brooks, director of Prostate and Colorectal Cancers at the American Cancer Society, and Rick Kittles, Ph.D., who is associate professor of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Thapelo Institute also will host its 10th Annual Health & Fitness Men's Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 16 at Malcolm X College. The expo will provide free testing for HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure, diabetes, prostate cancer, cholesterol levels, and kidney disease. Expo officials also will give advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle.

Prostate Cancer Death Rates by Race/ Ethnicity in Men Aged 45 and Above Per 100,000

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