Health Disparities

Health Disparities

It is widely known that African American men and families suffer disproportionately from prostate cancer, with almost double the incidence of and death from prostate cancer as Caucasians. Many sociologic and biologic theories have been proposed as possible reasons.

Some North Carolina counties have the highest incidence of and death from prostate cancer in the world, irrespective of race, and further recognizing that racial differences in the incidence of and death from prostate cancer persist when examined on a state-specific levelš the Institute for Health, Social & Community Research (IHSCR) at Shaw University has been awarded three grants through the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Prostate Cancer Research Program. Through these grants, the IHSCR is forming strong strategic collaborations intended to explore, dismantel and provide insight into possible solutions for addressing prostate cancer death and disparity.

The IHSCR is Directed by Daniel L. Howard, Ph.D.. Mary Anderson is the Associate Director/ Program Manager for prostate centers, grants and programs run by the IHSCR.

šKris E. Gaston, MD, and Raj S. Pruthi, MD, Racial Differences in Prostate Cancer. NC Med J March/April 2006, Volume 67, Number 2: 130-135

From left to right, Dr. Clarence Newsome (Shaw University President), Thomas A. LaVeist, PhD (Johns Hopkins Co-PI), Daniel L. Howard, PhD (Director of the Insititute for Health, Social and Community Research at Shaw University), Paul Godley, MD, PhD, MPP (UNC-CH Co-PI)