Abstract C15: Increasing cancer prevention education and cancer screening in African Americans through a cancer health ministry
Authors: Adams Terrence R. 
Published: February 2019

Objectives:

1. To assess church's ability to increase screening and awareness for different cancers

2. To describe how one church was able to create cancer screening opportunities for their community

Background: It has been documented that faith-based health programs are capable of producing positive results in health education and cancer prevention. With a little more than half of the African American population reporting church attendance at least once a week, church health ministries are capable of having a strong impact on cancer prevention. While many churches have wellness ministries, the presence of a cancer ministry is often overlooked. Having a cancer ministry can help increase participation in cancer prevention, cancer awareness, and screening in the African American community.

Introduction: Fallbrook Church is a local African American church in the northern part of Houston, Texas. The church boast a membership of over 7,000 and holds two worships services every week. Although Fallbrook has an established wellness ministry, a motivated survivor wanted to start a cancer ministry based on her own experience with diagnosis and treatment. The member reached out to the Faith Health and Family Collaborative at MD Anderson Cancer Center for support in developing a cancer ministry.

Methods: The National Outreach Network Community Health Educator met with the Combat Ready Cancer Ministry to plan events and identify community partners who could assist with screening and education. After meeting with the group and sharing different resources that were available from MD Anderson Cancer Center and other community partners, the ministry was able to not only focus on being a support group for members who were diagnosed with cancer, but also schedule four prevention and education events for the 2017 calendar year.

Results: The first event focused on oral cancer. The event featured a local dentistry office that was able to perform oral exams and educate participants on oral cancer. The event was attended by 42 participants. The second event focused on colorectal cancer and featured the National Cancer Institute's Screen to Save initiative. This event featured a presentation from the NON CHE at MD Anderson Cancer Center, a walk-through adventure colon, and an opportunity to receive a free FOBT kit for early detection of colorectal cancer. The event had more than 200 attendees and 25 people participated in the City of Houston's Colorectal Cancer Awareness Program to receive free FOBT kits. Their third event focused on prostate cancer, a cancer that affects more African American men than any other ethnic group. This event featured education from a local urologist and an opportunity to get a free PSA test for prostate cancer detection. Seventy-two men attended the event and 86% of the men received free PSA screenings. The group's fourth event is scheduled for November and will focus on providing onsite mammograms for members of the church. The cancer ministry partnered with The Rose (local mammography and diagnostic imaging center). This partner will perform onsite mammograms, and for every two insured participants The Rose will provide one free mammogram.

Discussion: Cancer health disparities continue to be an issue in the United States. The African American church has proven to be a great tool to help reach many of our underserved communities. Creating a ministry that focuses on cancer and connecting the ministry to resources provides the opportunity to increase education, awareness, and screening for many of the cancers that affect African Americans more than other ethnic groups.

Citation Format: Terrence R. Adams. Increasing cancer prevention education and cancer screening in African Americans through a cancer health ministry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C15.