Disparities in Prostate Cancer Care: Is the burden of Prostate Cancer Underestimated in African Americans?

March 16, 2010

Award-winning researcher and Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Folakemi T. Odedina,

Addresses prostate cancer mortality rates among black males at the 2010 Minority Health Conference and ABHP Annual Meeting

An Interdisciplinary Educational Conference on Minority Health Issues

For Physicians, Pharmacists, Nurses, and Nurse Practitioners

What:        With five years of clinical experience and over fifteen (15) years experience as a researcher, Folakemi T. Odedina, Ph.D., a professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, has made a distinguished career in research and academia. Odedina's general research focus is on health promotion and disease prevention in African American men. Odedina will be sharing her recent findings as a keynote speaker at the Association of Black Health-System Pharmacist’s (ABHP) 2010 Minority Health Conference on Saturday, May 22 at 2:30 pm in the Greenway Ballroom of the Renaissance Houston Hotel in Houston, TX.

Why:      Most research studies on prostate cancer health disparities have focused on comparing Black men to other ethnic groups within the US.  A research area that has been over-looked and under-studied is the within group differences among Black men relative to prostate cancer burden and risk factors. Compared to native-born Blacks, foreign-born Blacks have been found to have lower cancer mortality and less likely to be obese. African-born immigrants have consistently been found to have the best health status compared to other foreign-born Black immigrants and native-born Blacks in spite of lower health insurance rates and employment. If the burden of prostate cancer is lower among foreign-born Black men, we may be underestimating the burden of prostate cancer in native-born African Americans.  

When:  May 21-23, 2010 

Where: Greenway Ballroom of the Renaissance Houston Hotel in Houston, TX.

Who:     Folakemi T. Odedina, Ph.D. - Extensive research has been done on health disparity amongst different racial groups, but health disparities within a racial group is still a burgeoning field of study waiting to be discovered.   One woman, however, has been on the forefront of this research.   With five years of clinical experience and more than fifteen (15) years experience as a researcher, Folakemi T. Odedina, PhD, has made a distinguished career in research and academia. Odedina's general research focus is on health promotion and disease prevention in African American men.  Odedina is a a professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy,. She is also the Director of Community Outreach at the newly established Prostate Disease Center at the UF College of Medicine. She is best known for her progressive research of prostate cancer prevention in African American males.   Her progressive research in the disparities amongst black males with prostate cancer has earned her several awards, including the 2006-07 U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award, which was given to her for representing the US in Nigeria to establish open communication and long-term cooperative relationships for cancer research and training.  While most research studies on prostate cancer health disparities have focused on comparing Black men to other ethnic groups within the U.S., Odedina has focused on an area of research that has been over-looked and under-studied: Differences among native-born Black men and African American men relative to prostate cancer burden and risk factors. Odedina’s research has made remarkable progress in Nigeria and within her own community in Florida. By targeting the barbershops where many black males frequent and creating flyers and pamphlets with research findings in her surrounding community in Seminole, Florida, Odedina has helped educate her community and improve prostate cancer outcomes.  “You must be in line with your community. By training barbers as lay health workers, they can refer black men to community pharmacists who then can refer black men to a doctor to get proper intervention. Interventions must be developed in partnership with minority communities in order to get results,” Odedina said. “If the community doesn’t even know about your research findings, what good is it?” Odedina is currently focusing her research on a comparative analysis of different populations of black males in the USA, Caribbean and Africa in order to distinguish which population holds the true burden of prostate cancer. By debating the role of genetics and lifestyle factors, Odedina is looking at the risk factors for prostate cancer and hoping to use this information to help all black men improve their health outcome.  

Conference DetailsThis conference is designed to educate health care practitioners about conditions to which ethnic groups may be predisposed, cultural differences that should be considered when developing treatment plans, and tools and information that can help ensure adherence.   The goals of the three-day conference are to:

• Educate health care providers on minority health issues and the associated disparities among minority populations.Present new and emerging diagnostic and treatment modalities for managing diseases that impact minority populations.Provide opportunities for skill building, information-sharing, and networking.
• Provide a forum for the interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and strategies to address health disparities among minority populations.
• Provide practical tools to improve outcomes for those at highest risk for poor health, including minorities and economically disadvantaged populations.

This conference is planned and conducted by the Association of Black Health-System Pharmacists. Complete conference information is available at http://myabhp.org/ABHP2009.htm

To Register: All press must register to gain access to the conference events. To arrange for a complimentary registration, contact ABHP at 850-728-4474.  After May 14, please contact the staff onsite at the conference.  

ABHP strives to represent Black and minority health-system pharmacists and is dedicated to the growth and development of their pharmacy practice in health care facilities. The association provides up-to-date educational programs on minority health issues to help members improve their professional skills and the quality of care that they provide in their area of pharmacy practice.  ABHP serves as a liaison and facilitates communication with other pharmacy associations and organizations concerned with health care. Please visit ABHP’s Website, www.myabhp.org/