TOGETHER.

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.

WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>> ONE IN 6 BLACK MEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER IN THEIR LIFETIME.

AND BLACK MEN ARE TWICE AS LIKELY AS WHITE MEN TO DIE FROM THE DISEASE.

ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY.

JUST RECENTLY, 2 NOTABLE BLACK MEN HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY THE DISEASE.

DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYD AUSTIN UNDERWENT SURGERY FORT AND EXTRA SCOTT KING SAID OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DIED EARLIER THIS MONTH.

HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS IS DOCTOR GARTH WALKER CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER RUSH HEALTH AND ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT RUSH UNIVERSITY SYSTEM FOR HEALTH.

DOCTOR WALKER, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS AND FACTORS THAT MEN SHOULD KEEP IN MIND WHEN THINKING ABOUT PROSTATE HEALTH?

WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS TO KEEP IN MIND IS A YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ROLE OF SCREENING AND FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE.

>> THE POINT OF SCREENING IS TO BE ABLE TO CATCH THE DISEASE BEFORE ANY SYMPTOMS COME TO FRUITION.

PARTICK WHEN IT COMES TO PROSTATE CANCER.

OFTENTIMES A PEOPLE MAY NOTICE CHANGES IN THE WAY THAT THEY URINATE, PARTICULARLY IF ITS ADVANCE, THEY MAY START TO NO NOTICE A TYPICAL SYMPTOMS BEFORE SOMEBODY THAT PRACTICES AND EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN DEPARTMENT.

THAT IS THE LAST PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO CATCH PROSTATE CANCER.

I YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO CATCH IT WITH YOUR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER?

WHO REFERS YOU TO A DRAW LOGISTICS AND IS ABLE TO BE ABLE TO SCREEN YOU YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN YOUR NATION.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER SORT OF A TYPICAL SYMPTOMS?

PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK OUT NOT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SCREAM AND CATCH IT ON TIME.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO ADVANCED DISEASE IS PARTICULARLY AROUND CANCER.

YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF SYMPTOMS AROUND WEIGHT LOSS CAN SEE A LOT OF SYMPTOMS AROUND DECREASE IN ENERGY.

AT THAT TIME, IT BECOMES VERY BUT WITH RESPECT TO BEING ABLE TO CATCH DISEASE EARLY, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO CATCH IT BEFORE YOU CATCH ANY SYMPTOMS.

THAT'S WHY THE GUIDELINES ARE SO IMPORTANT.

SO BY THE TIME YOU'RE HAVING SYMPTOMS, IT'S LATE.

EXACTLY.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT CAUSED THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT AMONG BLACK MEN?

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THINK ABOUT ARP OUR COMMUNITY AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN AT PLAY.

I THINK WHEN YOU THINK SOCIALLY, YOU HAVE TO THINK HISTORICALLY ABOUT HOW OUR HEALTH SYSTEM HAS TREATED OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT ADDITIONALLY, JUST THE AMOUNT OF APPREHENSION THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS WITH EMBRACING THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THEN FROM THE ECONOMIC SIDE, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE SOCIAL TERMS OF HEALTH AND WHEN YOU HAVE A POPULATION THAT IS DEALING WITH SO MANY PRESSURES, SOMETIMES YOUR HEALTH IS THE LAST TO BE ADDRESS.

BUT AS A COMMUNITY AND FROM THE HEALTH SYSTEM STANDPOINT, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALIGN HEALTH EQUITY AND THINK ABOUT UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS AND UNIQUE INTERVENTIONS TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES THAT FRANK, WE HAVE HAD VERY DIFFICULT TIMES ENGAGING OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE SCREENING PROCESS.

A LOT OF MEN MAY NOT BE BIG FANS OF THE SCREENING PROCESS BECAUSE IT INVOLVES A DIGITAL EXAM.

>> HOW DO YOU OVERCOME >> ONE WAY I WOULD SAY IS JUST TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR SO THAT THEY CAN REASSURE YOU ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.

THERE'S ALSO A BLOOD THAT YOU CAN DRAW AND BE ABLE TO COMPARE THAT TO NORMAL LEVELS AND SEE IF OR HIGHER STANDARD DEVIATION TO BE ABLE TO WARRANT FURTHER INTERVENTION.

BUT I THINK ONE OF THOSE ISSUES IS TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY AND UNDERSTAND YOUR FAMILY HISTORY.

VERY DEEPLY.

SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR RISK FACTORS AND THEIR URGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN SCREEN.

>> SO THEY ALSO HAVE A CONVERSATION MAYBE WITH THE WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO GIVE BIRTH.

ABSOLUTELY.

LET LET ME LET ME START HERE.

WOMEN ARE OFTEN THE LEADERS IN TERMS OF HOW THEIR FAMILIES AND GAUGE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND OFTENTIMES IS THE MOTHER, THE GRANDMOTHER OFTENTIMES TELLING THEIR HUSBAND AND MAKING SURE THEIR CHILDREN ARE GETTING THE SCREENINGS OF THE VACCINES THAT THEY NEED.

>> SO THAT'S WHY THESE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS THAT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS HAVE IS SO IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT BE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS WITH BARBERSHOPS PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS ANYWAY, THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES AND EDUCATE THEM AND INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SCREEN FOR DISEASES THAT AFFECT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY EVEN MORE THAN OTHERS IS A WIN.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE ACTIVELY DO ON A DAILY BASIS AT AT OUR HEALTH SYSTEM.

>> WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE TO BRIDGE THE DISPARITY IN THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND INDIVIDUAL, OF BUT IN THE COMMUNITY, PUBLIC HEALTH STANDPOINT CERTAINLY CORPORON AND GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

SO WHEN I WAS THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT DURING COVID, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS.

SO TRIED TO LOOK AT IS PARTNERSHIPS.

I KNOW WE TOUCHED ON PARTNER BUT WHEN TALK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS, I MEAN, NOT JUST COMMUNICATING, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE RESOURCES AND ACCESS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS FOR EXAMPLE, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO A BARBER SHOP.

YOU DON'T NECESSARILY JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DISEASE, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO EDUCATE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE HIGH TOUCH POINTS WITH THE MOST AFFECTED MEMBERS.

SO I THINK THINKING ABOUT ALL THE INDIVIDUALS THAT TOUCH OUR COMMUNITY WRAPPING OURSELVES, WRAPPING OUR ARMS AROUND THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO.

SO THE LOVE AND UNDERSTAND JUST HOW URGENT THIS ISSUE IS IS THE BEST UP FOR IT.

YOU MENTIONED BARBERSHOP IN THAT SOUNDS KIND OF SIMILAR TO THE CAMPAIGN, YOU KNOW, FOR WOMEN.

>> WITH REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AT THE BEAUTY SHOP IF THAT'S A PLACE WHERE IT HAS TO COME YEAH, YEAH.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER PROSTATE CONCERNS THAT MEN SHOULD BE AWARE OF BEYOND CANCER?

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD ABOUT KING CHARLES.

SPEAKING OUT PUBLICLY ABOUT HIS ENLARGED PROSTATE.

IT'S NOT JUST CANCER.

WELL, I THINK.

WE WE HEARD A LOT OF HIGH PROFILE INDIVIDUALS RECENTLY.

AND WHEN I WHAT I THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT TO OBSERVE, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT >> THAT ARE PRIVILEGED TO HAVE ACCESS.

THEY DO HAVE THE RESOURCES.

THERE'S A HOST, LARGE PROPORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES SO BEYOND PROSTATE CANCER, WE NEED TO ALSO DIED DIAGNOSING.

THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.

COLON CANCER AND THE OTHER RAISE THAT WE DIE DISPROPORTIONATELY RELATIVE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.

AND I THINK BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE EMBRACE AND TALK TO OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

IT'S GOING TO BE