Dr Guerra on a Culturally Tailored Approach to Prostate Cancer Screening Awareness

Carmen Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP, Ruth C. and Raymond G. Perelman Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, vice chair, Diversity and Inclusion, Department of Medicine, associate director, Diversity and Outreach, Abramson Cancer Center, discusses initiatives to address disparities and raise awareness for prostate cancer screening, particularly among Black men.

At the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting, Guerra and colleagues presented findings from a survey conducted among men who viewed a culturally sensitive educational video that was developed and tested within the Philadelphia community. The video highlighted ways in which prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men, who often encounter delayed diagnoses and higher mortality rates compared to White men, Guerra says. noting that Black men are historically less likely to undergo screenings due to various factors such as myths, medical mistrust, and financial barriers.

The study, conducted between April and December 2023, involved 619 men at least 40 years of age who provided consent and completed questionnaires before and after watching the educational video. The video, featuring a conversation between a urologist and a well-known local pastor who is a prostate cancer survivor, addressed prostate cancer facts, provided screening information, and debunked myths regarding the disease.

Guerra notes that participants completed pre-questionnaires, including socio-demographic items, a pre–10-item Prostate Cancer Knowledge Scale, and a 10-item Decisional Conflict Scale. After watching the video, they responded to a question on intention to undergo screening, a 10-item video satisfaction measure, and post-questionnaires including the same knowledge and decisional conflict scales.

When comparing answers from the questionnaires completed before and after watching the video, data showed that knowledge of prostate cancer improved and decision conflict decreased. Furthermore, 93% of individuals surveyed after watching the video said they would undergo prostate cancer screening. Additionally, the vast majority of responders said the video was helpful in making a decision regarding screening, Guerra concludes.