IntroductionProstate cancer death rates in the U.S. and in South Carolina (SC) are twice as high among Black men as they are among White men. In response, the Medical University of SC Hollings Cancer Center developed the SC Prostate Cancer Education and Navigation to Screening Program for African American Men (SC AMEN Program).MethodsThe SC AMEN Program included a one-hour, evidence-based prostate cancer educational session. To recruit participants, the investigators employed a convenience sample strategy, in which community champions volunteered to host the SC AMEN sessions in trusted community venues and recruited the participants for each session. A pre-test survey assessed prostate cancer knowledge using the validated PROCASE Knowledge Index. A post-test survey was administered following the educational session, after which participants were navigated by telephone over the next three months to schedule an appointment to discuss prostate cancer screening with a clinician.ResultsThe 568 participants included Black (97.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%), Asian (0.2%), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (0.2%), and White (0.2%) men, with 3.0% reporting Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Age ranged from 40-69 years; 7.6% had less than a high school education, 35.7% completed high school, 18.1% completed some college, and 36.3% were college graduates. In the multivariable model, controlling for age, insurance status, and educational level, no statistically significant difference in the change in prostate cancer knowledge scores from pre-test to post-test was observed. Among the 568 SC AMEN Program participants, 475 participants (83.6%) either completed a prostate cancer screening (n = 266; 46.8%) or have scheduled a screening appointment (n = 209; 36.8%). The remaining 24 participants (4.2%) continue to be navigated to a screening appointment, and 69 (12.2%) have refused navigation.ConclusionThe SC AMEN Program fostered the study participants' appointments with a clinician to discuss their prostate cancer risk and need for screening.
Keywords: cancer screenings; prostate cancer; racial disparities.
Black men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer than White men. This is true both in the U.S. and in South Carolina (SC). To address this issue, the Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center developed the SC Prostate Cancer Education and Navigation to Screening Program for African American Men (SC AMEN Program). The program is a community-engaged, statewide initiative. In the SC AMEN Program, community leaders recruited other Black men to the program. This recruitment method led to greater trust in the SC AMEN Program team. The one-hour educational sessions took place in trusted community venues, such as churches and community centers. At the start of each session, the SC AMEN Program team thanked the men for participating and for everything they do to support their families and communities. Then, a baseline survey was administered to assess each participant’s level of prostate cancer knowledge. At the end of each session, participants completed a post-test and received a $50 gift card. A patient navigator was assigned to each participant and called him for the next three months to help guide him to a clinical appointment where he could discuss prostate cancer screening with a clinician. After the three-month assessment, each participant received another $50 gift card. The results show that among the 568 SC AMEN Program participants, there were no significant increases in prostate cancer knowledge from pre-test to post-test. However, 475 participants (83.6%) either completed a prostate cancer screening (n = 266; 46.8%) or scheduled a screening appointment (n = 209; 36.8%). The remaining 24 participants (4.2%) continue to be navigated to a screening appointment, and 69 (12.2%) have refused navigation. The SC AMEN Program seemed to be effective in helping Black men to talk with a clinician about their prostate cancer risk and the need for screening.