On June 15, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a webinar with a panel discussion to launch Black Family Cancer Awareness Week. Dr. Keith Crawford, PHEN’s Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education, joined the webinar. The panel consisted of key leaders and medical experts who spoke on the causes of cancer disparities and the solutions needed to eliminate these inequities.
During the panel discussion, Dr. Crawford emphasized the importance of early detection and cancer screenings for Black families. He explained how Black men, especially those with a family history, are at high risk of prostate cancer. Black men are twice as likely as White men to die from prostate cancer.
“We can sit back and talk about it or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Crawford outlined the work ethic needed to begin eliminating cancer disparities in minority populations.
Dr. Crawford focused on the need for Black men and women to participate in clinical trials. He explained how 80 to 85 percent of what the scientific community knows about genetics and cancer development is based on European ancestry. The amount of genetic information based on the Black population reaches less than 5 percent.
Dr. Crawford also emphasized the need to give patients information to boost clinical trial participation. Whether sending newsletters or providing patient education materials in an oncologist’s office, patients need to understand the importance of partaking in clinical trials.
#BlackFamCan #ProstateCancerAwareness #CancerClinicalTrials #ProstateCancerScreening #CancerScreening #AfricanAmericanMen #EarlyDetection
