— 11th Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit takes place September 17-18, 2015, in Washington, DC —
Boston, MA (BlackNews.com) — The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) will host its Eleventh Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit, on September 17th, at Hotel Monaco (700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004), from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., and on September 18th, at the Washington Convention Center (801 MT. Vernon Place NW, Washington, DC 20004), as one session of the annual Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) event from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. This years Summit is titled “Black Americas Prostate Cancer Burden, A National Review.”
Black America suffers the nations largest prostate cancer burden with incidence and mortality rates 60 % and 150 % higher, respectively, than all other men. PHEN was instrumental in helping to draft U.S. Senate Resolution 529, which passed unanimously in July 2012, recognizing prostate cancer among Black men as a health crisis of epidemic proportions. Nonetheless, the May 2012 recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force against PSA testing, is changing prostate cancer healthcare policies and practices. These changes have created an urgent need for a national review of the prostate cancer crisis in Black America towards developing a focused consensus strategy for its elimination.
“This issue is critical and timely,” said Thomas A. Farrington, president and founder, PHEN. “September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, and the fight against prostate cancer is at a crossroads. At the center sits every patient and man who needs to know his prostate health, who are oftentimes confused,” said Farrington, who is also a 15-year prostate cancer survivor. Therefore, PHEN will initiate a national review of Black Americas prostate cancer burden, at its Eleventh Annual “African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit.” The organization will assemble a panel of leading experts from cancer centers and organizations to provide input, including Department of Defense (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research Programs; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Carolina Urology Partners; Roswell Park Cancer Institute; and Karmanas Cancer Institute.
The national review has four main objectives, including:
1) To raise the level of awareness about the prostate cancer burden in Black America;
2) To focus on topics of primary importance in addressing the burden;
3) To review changes to key prostate healthcare policies and practices and associated impacts;
4) To outline a national consensus strategy/agenda towards eliminating the prostate cancer burden disparity.
Following the Summit, PHEN will publish a National Consensus Agenda, towards eliminating the African American Prostate Cancer crisis, based on Summit presentations, discussions, focus groups and public feedback. Ultimately, the organization will work with national leaders and stakeholders to promote the consensus agenda as a unified call to action to spread awareness about Black Americas prostate cancer burden.
The Summit is FREE and open to the public. Click for Summit Program Overview and Schedule.
About PHEN
The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) is the leading patient education and advocacy organization addressing the needs of African American prostate cancer patients and survivors. About 1 in 5 African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime; with the highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States. Based in Quincy, Mass., PHEN, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 2003 by Thomas A. Farrington, a prostate cancer survivor. PHEN Initiatives include monthly live educational webcasts, the Annual Father’s Day Rally, educational symposiums with church partners, and the Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit in Washington, DC. For more information, visit PHEN’s website: www.prostatehealthed.org.
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