Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally coming to Boston

Local leaders join PHEN to address African American prostate cancer crisis

Prostate Health Education Network

The Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN), a leading prostate cancer patient education and advocacy organization based in Boston, is bringing its Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally home to Boston during the month of November to address the African American prostate cancer crisis. The Rally brings together well known and trusted local leaders (clergy, doctors, policymakers, patients and others), who record prostate cancer education and awareness messages that PHEN promotes via local media outlets.

PHEN conducted successful rallies in seventeen (17) cities within seven (7) states during 2021 and 2022, reaching more than four million people. Seventy-two (72) leaders joined PHEN as Rally participants, and are now mobilized as PHEN partners in ongoing efforts addressing the prostate cancer disparity within their communities.

Thomas Farrington, PHEN President

Boston Leaders lending their voices and support for the Rally include Rev. Arthur Gerald, Pastor emeritus at Twelfth Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Ray Hammond, Pastor of Bethel AME Church, and Rev. Miniard Culpepper, Pastor of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Each of these leaders is a prostate cancer survivor. Other leaders participating include Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, Pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church, Dr. Jacques Carter, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Christopher Lathan, Dana-Farber, and Dr. Richard Lee, Mass General Hospital.

The Boston rally also includes free prostate cancer early detection screening with the PSA blood test, and educational presentations with medical experts at Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, on November 19th from 10am to 2pm. Men and women are invited and encouraged to attend. “We are pleased to host this important effort towards saving lives and eliminating the prostate cancer racial disparity,” says Twelfth’s Pastor Rev. Bodrick.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber) joins PHEN to support the Boston rally. Dana-Farber and PHEN have a long history of working together, including providing prostate cancer early detection screening, and PHEN hosted monthly educational programs at Dana-Farber with its prostate cancer support group. Many of PHEN’s national programs were launched with Dana-Farber’s support. “Increasing awareness about prostate cancer is a high priority for us, said Magnolia Contreras, Vice President of Community Health at Dana-Farber. We look forward to working with PHEN to amplify the importance of getting screened for prostate cancer.”

“We are excited to bring our Rally home to Boston. The COVID pandemic delayed prostate cancer early detection screening and treatments during a time where new prostate cancer cases are rapidly increasing,” says Thomas Farrington, PHEN’s President. “Black men have the highest incidence and death rates for this disease. There is much work to do to educate and support our Boston communities in the fight against prostate cancer, and our rally intends to mobilize actions to take on this challenge.”

The African American Prostate Cancer Crisis

• The leading cause of cancer for Black men affecting 1 in 6 men
• Diagnosed at a 76% higher rate than white men, at a younger age with more advanced disease
• The death rate is more than 2 times that for white men
• The lack of early detection screening causes unnecessary deaths, devastating families and communities
• The prostate cancer racial disparity is the largest for any major cancer for men or women