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In This Issue:
BWH's Anthony D'Amico shares prostate health research findings with community members at the Whittier Street Health Center.
When it comes to prostate cancer-one of the leading causes of cancer death for men in the U.S.-knowing the risk factors, questions to ask your physician and the latest research are steps in the right direction to ensure a healthy lifespan.
Physicians shared this message with male attendees who packed the Whittier Health Center conference room last week for "What A Man Needs to Know About Prostate Health."
The talk was the second community discussion hosted by the BWH Community Learning Network, a joint effort between BWH's Center for Community Health and Health Equity (CCHHE) and the Biomedical Research Institute. This event was also co-sponsored by the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) and the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service (CCHERS).
The series of events is free, open to the public and designed to encourage dialogue between BWH researchers and community members about research findings and health news that can be applied to daily life.
Participants of this panel discussion were Anthony D'Amico, MD, PhD, chief of Genitourinary Radiation Oncology at BWH and chief of the Prostate Cancer Radiation Oncology Service at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center; J. Jacques Carter, MD, medical director of the Prostate Cancer Screening Program and medical advisor for PHEN; and Mark Kennedy, manager of the Blum Prostate Cancer Education and Screening Program at PHEN.
The panel shared insights about prostate health, including the latest on changing testing guidelines and research findings. The experts also shared genetic factors to take into account when considering testing, including race. Studies have shown that African-American, Hispanic and Latino men are more likely to be diagnosed with and die from prostate cancer than white men.
"Nearly all of the men who attended the event were at high risk for the development of aggressive prostate cancer based on their ethnicity," said D'Amico. "Therefore, awareness and early detection through the use of an annual blood test, PSA and digital rectal exam will be key to ensuring they continue to live healthy lives."
"Both the first and second events of the series were well-attended and informative," said Cheryl Clark, MD, ScD, director of Health Equity Research and Intervention for CCHHE. "We hope to change the culture so that scientists and clinicians will go out and talk about the latest science with diverse communities as a routine part of their work. The success so far is completely attributed to the partnerships between community sponsors and our BWH clinicians and researchers, who have taken the time to share their expertise with the community," said Clark.
Added Dan Solomon, MD, MPH, BWH chief of the Section of Clinical Sciences in Rheumatology and co-director for the Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research Center (PCERC): "This event was a great success. The team at the CCHHE is incredibly dedicated to disseminating health information back to the local community."
The next Community Learning Network event is being planned for fall 2013. More information is forthcoming. If you are interested in presenting your research at a future event, email cchhe@partners.org.