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A successful recruitment process of African American men for early detection of prostate cancer
Author(s) -
Powell Isaac J.,
Gelfand Donald E.,
Parzuchowski Jeanne,
Heilbrun Lance,
Franklin Archilind
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19950401)75:7+<1880::aid-cncr2820751619>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , prostate cancer , cancer , oncology , gynecology
Background . The Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data reports prostate cancer mortality rates that are two to three times higher for African American compared with white American men between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Several investigators believe this is a result of advanced presentation of the disease secondary to a lack of early detection participation. Attempts to recruit African American men into early‐detection programs have been unsuccessful. A successful process by which to achieve this objective is presented. Methods . The Detroit Education and Early Detection (DEED) program is a community‐based program involving the African American institutional church to attract African American men between the ages of 40 and 70 years. The program consists of culturally specific education to remove attitudinal and behavioral barriers to the health care system, to explain the anatomy and function of the prostate gland, and to discuss issues and early detection diagnostic methods for prostate cancer. Beginning in February 1993, the DEED program was instituted in the African American community. An outreach coordinator solicits church participation by contacting church leaders personally. Specifically, the program includes a self‐administered behavioral questionnaire, education program given by African American physicians and prostate cancer survivors, and a prostate‐specific antigen‐driven screening diagnostic study. More than 90% of program staff participants in the program are African American. This is important to ensure trust in the program. Results . Early clinical results: More than 1000 men participated in DEED by the end of June 1994. The median age was 54.9 years, 8% of the men had prostate‐specific antigen levels greater than 4 ng/ml, and the cancer detection rate was 2.5% for this young population. Conclusion . Education and early detection through local community institutions such as the church can attract African American men to prostate cancer screenings and help remove the barriers that have resulted in under‐representation of this high‐risk population in other early‐detection efforts. Cancer 1995;75:1880–4.