Novel Approach to Improving Prostate Cancer Screening Among African American Men
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer death among men of all races in the United States. Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates differ significantly by race and ethnicity, with African American men the most likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and experiencing a greater than twofold higher risk of dying from prostate cancer. Population screening for prostate cancer using prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has been shown to decrease the risk of dying from prostate cancer for men ages 55 to 69 years, and studies suggest that PSA-based screening may provide greater benefit to African American men who face a higher risk of developing prostate cancer at a younger age. Hence, early detection of prostate cancer via PSA screening is important to decrease the risk of African American men from dying from prostate cancer. However, studies suggest that there are racial differences in beliefs and attitudes around prostate cancer screening. Impediments to prostate cancer screening among African American men include a lack of effective communication between physicians and African American men regarding the risk of prostate cancer and PSA testing and that African American men are less likely to have accessible healthcare. We hypothesize that providing prostate cancer screening using a point-of-care (POC) PSA test performed by a fingerstick blood draw will increase screening rates among African American men. Towards this goal, we have developed a prototype POC PSA screening test that provides rapid laboratory results. This approach, incorporating effective communication and decision-making by a trained community member (citizen scientist), POC testing and rapid communication of screening test results to the participant by a health care worker, and arrangement of a follow-up appointment with a urologist if indicated, will result in earlier detection and treatment of African American men with prostate cancer, leading to an overall improvement in prostate cancer mortality in African American men. The specific aims of this proposal are to (1) optimize and manufacture our point-of-care platform for quantification of total PSA in a finger prick collected whole blood sample; (2) compare venipuncture serum PSA with point of care PSA testing; and (3) examine the feasibility and acceptability of performing point-of-care PSA testing in a community setting, specifically barbershops. We will recruit and train barbers to facilitate discussions regarding prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening with their clients, who may then elect to undergo point-of-care PSA testing in the barbershop. To accomplish these goals, we have enlisted a Stakeholder Advisory Team that brings to our investigation team the expert voices of cancer survivors, health care providers, community organizers, and communication experts to assist and guide us in our education of barbers and in our communication with African American men at risk. These aims specifically address two factors that contribute to the higher risk of prostate cancer mortality among African American men: access to healthcare as well as social and cultural factors that influence decision-making surrounding prostate cancer screening. We intend to increase access to healthcare through use of a portable, rapid, and affordable screening tool for prostate cancer in a community setting. This is an innovative approach to reach African American men who are not regular users of the healthcare system. To address the social and cultural factors that contribute to racial/ethnic disparities, we will partner with barbers, whose shops have been previously shown to be viable settings for the distribution of health-related information, to engage in a discussion with clients and provide accurate information regarding prostate cancer and the merits of prostate cancer screening. These partnerships can have a sustainable impact on influencing social and c
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210451
Entities
People
- David Nanus
Organizations
- United States Army
- Weill Cornell Medicine