Video educates and connects men to prostate cancer screening options

As part of a comprehensive effort to improve cancer screenings among diverse communities, Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) Community Outreach and Engagement team developed a culturally sensitive educational video to address prostate cancer screening disparities.

In findings shared today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024, the team showed that the video increased knowledge about prostate cancer and screening, and reduced uncertainty about obtaining prostate cancer screening in a diverse group of more than 600 men over age 40 who viewed the video during 14 different community health events in the Philadelphia region.

Based on post-video surveys, 93% of men said they intended to undergo a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening blood test for prostate cancer, which the research team offered at the same time as part of the community events.

"We know that cancer screenings save lives, and part of our work is to dispel the myths and misconceptions around screening to help ensure that individuals from all backgrounds understand their screening options," said senior author Carmen Guerra, MD, professor and vice chair of Diversity and Inclusion in the division of Internal Medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and associate director of Diversity and Outreach at the ACC.

"The idea of a physical prostate exam is off-putting to many men, so we want them to know that a simple, non-invasive blood test to check PSA levels is also an option to screen for prostate cancer."

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men, who are more likely to be diagnosed with and to die from the disease, and less likely to undergo prostate cancer screening, compared to white men. Even so, research has shown that even when presented with the same educational material, Black men are less likely to receive prostate cancer screening than white man.

Myths, medical mistrust, and financial barriers may all contribute to this disparity, so the research team designed the brief educational video to specifically address the Black community in Philadelphia.

The video was shared at health events hosted by trusted local organizations, including community, faith-based, and occupational groups; men could also receive a free PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer during the events.

The video featured a conversation between a urologist and a local pastor, who is a Black prostate cancer survivor. It covered prostate cancer facts, provided information about screening options, and addressed common myths and misconceptions about how symptoms, age, and family history factor into the disease and screening for it.

"By helping more men, especially those in at-risk populations, understand the benefits of prostate cancer screening, we hope to find cancer earlier, when it can be more easily treated," said lead author Mallorie C. Jones, MA, a project manager in Internal Medicine and member of the ACC Community Outreach and Engagement team. "The overwhelming positive survey feedback to the video tells us that we're on the right track to developing a useful resource that resonates with audience it's meant to reach."

The team will continue to evaluate the video during community outreach events in the greater Philadelphia area in 2024, with plans to fine-tune the content based on participant feedback, including evaluating ways to make the information more accessible and relevant to Spanish-speakers. They hope to make the final video available to share with other organizations as an educational resource.