In June, PHEN hosted Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally Symposiums with its partners, the Saint Matthew Baptist Church (Raleigh, NC) and the First Baptist Church of South Richmond (Richmond, VA). Both events included educational forums and free prostate cancer early detection PSA testing.
The Symposium Held at St. Matthew Baptist Church on June 10, 2023
Sixty (60) people attended the Symposium at St. Matthew Baptist Church with twenty-seven (27) men getting free PSA blood tests conducted by LabCorp.
Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Avery, Pastor at St. Matthew Baptist Church, and Rev. Adrian Backus, PHEN’s Director of Church Partnerships and Outreach, provided the symposium welcome and overview and Rev. Dr. Willie Goins, Associate Pastor at St. Matthew Baptist Church, served as the moderator.
The symposium’s educational program was conducted by Dr. Keith Crawford, PHEN’s Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education. Educational presentations included Early Detection Screening, Understanding Treatment Options, Managing Sexual Health, Genetic Testing, and Making Clinical Trials Work for You. The speakers included:Dr. Angelo Moore, Urologist at the Duke Cancer Center, Dr. Eric Wallen, Urologist at UNC Hospital, Dr. Maggie Powell, Certified Genetic Counselor at Duke Clinical Cancer Genetics.
The audience was engaged and asked a variety of interesting questions during the presentations.
- What age should we begin screening?
- Why are Black men at greater risk and have higher rates of prostate cancer than White men?
- How much vitamin D should we consume?
- Can I trust clinical trials?
“Our goal every year is to help educate, share community resources, and make a difference in the lives of people in our church and community,” stated Juanita Jones-Hall, Chairperson of St. Matthew Health Ministry, and Carl Jones, Chairperson of the Men’s Ministry. Pastor Dr. Ronald E. Avery was pleased that “We received positive feedback from those who attended.”
Rev. Anthony Bailey, Pastor at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, and Rev. Adrian Backus made closing remarks.
Symposium at the First Baptist Church of South Richmond on June 17
Fifty-seven (57) people attended the symposium at First Baptist Church of South Richmond. Free prostate cancer PSA blood tests were provided to fifty-two (52) men by the Prostate Cancer Educational Council (PCEC).
Rev. Cheryl Ivey Green, Executive Minister, and Rev. Adrian Backus provided the welcome and introduction for the program.
Dr. Keith Crawford conducted the educational program with topics identical to the St. Matthew Baptist Church symposium. The speakers included: Dr. Harold T. Green Jr, Internal Physician at Bon Secours Health System, Dr. Vernon A. Orton II, Urologist at Virginia Urology, and Dr. Artie Shelton, PHEN Ambassador.
Questions from the audience included:
- Are there cases of prostate cancer younger than 40 years of age?
- What can you do if your insurance does not cover treatment?
- When should I stop screening?
- If I am having symptoms, do I have cancer?
The two Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally Symposiums successfully achieved PHEN’s goals of educating the public and providing free prostate cancer early detection screening. PHEN appreciates the support and participation of St. Matthew Baptist Church and the First Baptist Church of South Richmond.
