“Together, we can transform information into inspiration and prevention into power,” Pastor Scientist Adrian S. Taylor said Saturday at the UF Health Cancer Institute’s Power Over Prostate and Testicular Cancer Gathering, which drew a packed crowd of more than 200 men and their loved ones, cancer survivors, researchers, clinicians and health policy leaders.
The gathering at Springhill Church aimed to empower men to lead healthy, informed lives by providing high-quality health information on prostate and testicular cancers, get support, ask questions and learn about participating in UF research studies.
UF Health oncologists Thomas George, M.D., FACP, FASCO, Paul Crispen, M.D., Daniel Araujo, M.D., and Judith Lightsey, M.D., gave informative presentations on prostate and testicular cancer prevention, early detection and new treatment options.
Carolyn M. Tucker, Ph.D., director of the UF Health Cancer Institute’s Community-Partnered Cancer Disparities Research Collaborative, or CDRC, highlighted the role of the gathering in reducing health disparities. Prostate cancer develops more often in African American men than in men of other races. Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than White men.
“It takes a village of men and their families, researchers and clinicians coming together with one love, one heart to feel alright,” said Tucker, the UF Florida Blue Endowed Chair in Health Disparities Research and a research professor in the UF Department of Psychology.
Prostate cancer survivor Philoron Wright, a retired Alachua County educator, shared his story, stressing the importance of getting screened.
“Early detection is paramount to everything,” Wright said. “My message is to listen well and get as much information as you possibly can. Programs like this with professional doctors and health care providers who can guide you on what you need to do are invaluable for everyone in the community, particularly for men to learn about their bodies, as well as learn about prostate cancer, how it’s treated and what the signs are.”
Wright underwent radiation treatment and is in stable health.
“I consider my survival a victory,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or down the road, but every day that I wake up is a victory for me.”
Engaging in a dialogue is vital for community health, said Michael Holmes, M.S.A., UF Health senior vice president and Greater Gainesville regional president, and the goal is to approach everything with patients and communities as partners.
“You are the most important part of our community,” Holmes told attendees. “That is our mission: to take care of you and your family. We want you around as long as possible. That means continuing to design treatments, interventions and clinical studies that improve care for future patients and hearing what’s important to you.”
Holmes encouraged men to start a conversation with their friends about getting screened. In the United States, prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men.
“We want to make sure you can take care of your family and be here with your loved ones,” he said.
The gathering was presented by the CDRC and the Cancer Institute’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement. The CDRC consists of 10 local Black churches, community scientists, technology coordinators, and faculty members and administrators at the Cancer Institute. The group works as partners to help prevent and reduce cancers among Blacks in East Gainesville.
The gathering was the fifth event in the Power Over Cancer series. Previous gatherings have focused on prostate, colorectal, breast, ovarian and cervical cancers.
