Megan’s Turn at the Menu

Megan Thee Stallion is expanding her food footprint again, this time with a Dunkin collaboration that’s already getting attention. The limited-edition “Hot Girls Run on Dunkin,” cup comes in a sunset gradient with her signature neon heart, and it launched alongside Dunkin’s new Protein Refreshers made with Protein Milk. It’s a smart extension of the lane she’s been building for years, from her Hottie Sauce era to her Popeyes franchise ownership and the Miami Beach location she officially opened in January 2026. Megan’s steady presence in the fast food space has fans watching closely, curious about what she’ll put her stamp on next.

She recently shared a clip of herself with the cup, styled in Dunkin’s pink and orange palette, hinting that fans should get in on the drop while it lasts.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion)

How We Got Here

Megan’s moment isn’t happening in isolation. Over the past few years, celebrities have been shaping fast food from the inside out through custom meals, branded sauces, marketing takeovers, and even franchise ownership. The wave picked up in 2020 with Travis Scott’s meal, and it’s only grown from there.

McDonald’s kept the momentum going with a series of celebrity meals that followed.

In 2021, Saweetie came out with her combo, which included a Big Mac, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a Sprite, Tangy BBQ Sauce, and “Saweetie’ N Sour” sauce, a renamed version of the classic Sweet ‘N Sour sauce. The campaign encouraged fans to mix and match the items however they liked, turning the meal into a kind of edible playlist.

Cardi B and Offset’s 2023 Valentine’s Day meal included her go-to cheeseburger with BBQ sauce and a large Coke, while he enjoyed a Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large Hi-C Orange Lavaburst, accompanied by fries and an apple pie to share.

Then, in 2025, Angel Reese, an NCAA champion and WNBA rookie, became the first female athlete to secure a national meal collaboration with McDonald’s. The Angel Reese Special included a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese featuring a new Bold BBQ Sauce, medium fries, and a drink of choice. The campaign leveraged her basketball legacy and rising profile to showcase her emerging talent in women’s sports.

Other Chains Join the Conversation

Fast food collaborations did not stop at McDonald’s. Lil Nas X took on a creative role at Taco Bell, helping relaunch breakfast and tie it to his album rollout. Ice Spice’s 2023 Dunkin’ drink, a frozen coffee with pumpkin Munchkins and caramel drizzle, dropped during the VMAs in a campaign directed by Ben Affleck. These were cross-platform moments designed to meet fans where they already were.

From Endorsement to Ownership

Some celebrities have moved beyond the promotional cycle and into long-term investments. Rick Ross owns over a dozen Wingstop locations and has a stake in Checkers. LeBron James owns 19 franchise locations for Blaze Pizza. Then there’s Shaquille O’Neal, whose food empire includes nine Papa John’s, 17 Auntie Anne’s, one Krispy Kreme flagship in Atlanta, and his fast-growing chain, Big Chicken. These business strategies truly reflect a shift in how celebrity influence is leveraged.

The Calorie Burden Behind the Hype

According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, about 32% of U.S. adults consumed fast food on a given day between 2021 and 2023, with fast food accounting for 11.7% of daily calories. Among younger adults aged 20 to 39, the figure rises to 15.2%.

Celebrity meals are engineered for buzz, not balance. The Angel Reese Special clocks in at over 1,250 calories, which is more than half the recommended daily sodium intake for many adults. Saweetie’s meal and Cardi B and Offset’s combo offer similar nutrition profiles. It’s fun, and it may even be shareable, but making fast food a routine has profound implications for health outcomes.

Linking the Plate to Public Health

Between 2021 and 2023, 35.8% of Black children and adolescents had obesity. According to CDC data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, this is the highest rate among all racial groups. Experts attribute food insecurity, targeted advertising, and reduced access to safe physical activity as the primary contributors.

But the Office of Minority Health report says Black or African American students in 9-12 grade were at the most significant risk. “Non-Hispanic Black or African American female students were almost 2 times more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic white female students.”

Colorectal Cancer is Also Rising in Younger People

Meanwhile, colorectal cancer is on the rise among younger adults, and the outlook is particularly harsh for Black Americans. The American Cancer Society’s 2025 report shows that Black men are 20% more likely to be diagnosed and 40% more likely to die from colorectal cancer than white men. Early 2026 projections indicate that these disparities have not improved.

For Black women, incidence is 14% higher, and mortality is 25% higher. Processed, low-fiber diets, typical of many fast-food options, are associated with an elevated risk, alongside structural barriers to screening and treatment.

This isn’t about feeling guilty for indulging in the latest trendy meal. However, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the more profound implications of seeing so many of our favorite celebrities promoting foods that don’t support our health. Our community already faces health disparities; it doesn’t exactly help to see a beloved musician holding up a burger stacked with sodium, sugar, and branding. When entertainment and marketing merge seamlessly, it’s easy to forget what’s truly at stake.

Dinner with a Side of Influence

Celebrity meals aren’t changing the food industry outright, but they’ve shaped how we engage with it. They blur the line between marketing and entertainment, and between habit and hype.

No one is forcing the order, but these meals reflect how easily pop culture can infiltrate our routines. We’ll leave it to you to decide who holds the influence: the celebrity, the brand, or the part of you that values your health over the hype.

Resources

How Hip-Hop Superstar Travis Scott Has Become Corporate America’s Brand Whisperer

NCHS Data Brief, Number 533, June 2025

Obesity Prevalence Among Children and Adolescents in the United States, 2011 to 2023 | Annals of Internal Medicine

Obesity and Black/African Americans | Office of Minority Health

Cancer statistics for African American and Black people, 2025

The post The Rise of Celebrity-Endorsed Calories appeared first on Black Health Matters.

But when you look closely at where cancer research is strongest, a pattern emerges that is hard to ignore. The states leading the country in research are not the states where Black Americans live in the greatest numbers. That gap shapes who benefits from the country’s most advanced cancer breakthroughs.

The States Winning the Research Race

SmileHub’s 2026 ranking of the best states for cancer research highlights the places with the deepest research ecosystems. These states have the most researchers per capita, the strongest funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), the highest clinical trial output, and the most robust cancer care infrastructure.

The top 10 states for cancer research are:

1. Massachusetts
2. New York
3. California
4. Pennsylvania
5. Colorado
6. Maryland
7. Oregon
8. Virginia
9. Connecticut
10. Minnesota

The ranking is built on thirteen metrics, including NIH grant funding, ACS funding, clinical trial activity, and hospital quality data from U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Cancer.

Massachusetts leads the list with top scores in both research funding and research output. New York ranks first in health care infrastructure. California sits in the top three across funding, output, and hospital quality. These states have long histories of academic investment, major research universities, and strong philanthropic networks.

But this map tells only one story. The real story is about who lives where.

Where Black America Actually Lives

Neilsberg’s 2025 analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data shows a clear picture of where Black Americans live today. The five states with the largest Black populations are Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, and California. These states anchor the modern Black population map. Pew Research Center reports that more than half of all Black Americans, about 56 percent, live in the South, which underscores how deeply rooted the population is in this region.

According to Neilsberg’s Black population ranking, Texas has 4,146,550 Black residents, which is 11.66 percent of the state’s population. Florida has 3,900,650, or 15.24 percent. Georgia has 3,648,016, representing 31.27 percent of the state. New York has 3,519,047, and California has 2,841,399.

Together, these five states account for more than 38 percent of all Black Americans.

A Map That Leaves Too Many Behind

The states with the largest Black populations rarely appear near the top of cancer research rankings. Georgia ranks thirty-eight. Florida ranks thirty. Texas ranks twenty-two. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina all fall in the bottom fifteen, even though they are home to some of the country’s most concentrated Black communities.

That gap has real consequences. Black Americans continue to face the highest cancer mortality rates in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. When the strongest research ecosystems are located far from the communities carrying the highest burden, access to clinical trials, specialty care, and advanced treatment becomes uneven by design.

When Distance Becomes a Barrier to Survival

Cancer research is tied to place. Clinical trials usually require in person visits. High quality cancer hospitals cluster in specific regions. Funding from the National Institutes of Health flows to institutions with long established research capacity. Insurance coverage varies by state. These factors shape who gets early detection, who gets advanced treatment, and who gets to participate in the studies that guide national standards of care.

When research is concentrated in the Northeast and West, and the highest burden communities are concentrated in the South, the result is a structural divide.

Black Americans are less likely to live near cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). They are less likely to be offered clinical trial participation. They are less likely to receive proper care. These patterns appear consistently in national cancer disparities reports and peer-reviewed research.

SmileHub did not create these disparities. But when its data is read through a different lens, the gaps reveal themselves with uncomfortable clarity.

What Real Investment Would Look Like

Imagine a South with more NCI designated cancer centers, stronger clinical trial networks, and research universities that anchor long-term investment. A South with increased NIH and ACS funding, deeper community-based research partnerships, better insurance coverage, and high-quality cancer hospitals within reach.

Imagine a research landscape that follows need instead of legacy.

The data points toward a future where investment is measured not only by scientific output, but by who can reach the front door of a research center. A future where breakthroughs are shaped by the communities that carry the highest burden. A future where geography is not destiny.

The Question We Cannot Ignore

The United States is investing billions to end cancer. But unless research infrastructure expands into the states where Black Americans actually live, the benefits of that investment will remain uneven. The communities with the highest cancer burden will continue to be left behind.

The country has the science, the momentum, and the resources to change the story of cancer. What remains uncertain is whether that progress will reach the communities that have carried the heaviest burden for the longest time.

Resources:

Cancer statistics, 2026 – Siegel – 2026 – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians – Wiley Online Library

Best States for Cancer Research in 2026

Best Hospitals for Cancer in the U.S. | Rankings & Ratings

States in United States ranked by Black population – 2025 | Neilsberg

Facts About the U.S. Black Population | Pew Research Center

Cancer statistics for African American and Black people, 2025 – Saka – 2025 – CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians – Wiley Online Library

The post Cancer Research Isn’t Reaching Black America appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Black Millennials might still be suffering from the pop lock and drop it era, but random knee pain isn’t the only challenge they’re facing. Healthcare firms are meeting the moment by including hip-hop and R&B in their consumer marketing efforts.  

As millennials age, their vast healthcare concerns are moving to the forefront of the healthcare industry priority list. That means integrating messaging that will speak to them directly.  

The music that once signaled a rebellious youth of bar hopping and bottle service is now helping providers court a generation of adults in need of information and interventions to address their collective issues.  

Music As a Means of Getting Attention  

Research shows that tapping into cultural competency works when trying to reach specific audiences. “The importance of cultural competency, including culturally and linguistically appropriate resources and tools, cannot be overstated or overemphasized,” according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  

Unlike a generic jingle, a familiar jam can stop you in your tracks. It can reconnect you to a moment from your past. Twisting around familiar beats isn’t the only way to have an impact.  

Speaking the language of music can help create connections, too. We Are Ill founder Victoria named her organization, designed to connect Black women with chronic illness, after the classic Nas album Illmatic.  

New music can have an impact as well. The FDA turned to developing original hip-hop songs to convince young people not to smoke. Gilead turned to rapper and podcaster Big Loon to help spread the message about their efforts to promote safer sex. Power to the Patients turned to Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Method Man, Rick Ross, Chuck D, and French Montana to promote their arguments for transparency in healthcare pricing.  

Fighting HIV With TLC 

TLC, a group that broke barriers by getting a generation to talk frankly about sex, has had their hit “Creep” reinterpreted for Gilead to promote PrEP. Original and core group member Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins performed the healthcare-centered rendition.  

“In the 90s, we used our platform to speak truth and empower people to love themselves. That mission hasn’t changed,” Watkins told People in November.  

“Black women in the United States are disproportionately affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and are less likely to be represented among HIV clinical research participants relative to their cumulative HIV burden,” according to Women’s Health. This makes TLC the perfect track to speak to an audience that needs to be informed about their options for protecting themselves.  

Fighting Colon Cancer With Lil’ Jon  

Lil’ Jon has transcended the Nuvo guzzling and the pill popping of the crunk era. The snap music pioneer converted his hit “Get Low” into a track to promote Cologuard, a screening device for colon cancer.  

“The distribution of CRC is not even across U.S. subpopulations; there is marked difference in CRC incidence, cancer stage, and cancer mortality by race and ethnicity. In particular, Black Americans show the highest incidence, and have the highest mortality among major U.S. racial and ethnic groups,” according to the Journal of Advances in Cancer Research.  

The American Cancer Society has highlighted the rise in colorectal cancer in people under the age of 55.  

Lil’ Jon shared why he agreed to do the campaign in a 2024 interview with Black Health Matters. “It just makes it easier to palette this subject because it’s funny because the song is called ‘Get Low #2,’ and you have to take a #2 to do the colon cancer screen with the Cologuard kit. So I thought it was pretty hilarious,” he said.  

He’s no slouch when it comes to promoting mental health either. He released an album for meditation.   

Raising Eczema Awareness with Mary J Blige  

Mary J. Blige owned the early 90s with “Real Love.” The kids who grew up singing the classic on their way to elementary school are primed to listen to the remixed version for EBGLYSS, a medication developed to fight eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.  

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that “Black people in the US experience greater atopic dermatitis (AD) prevalence, severity, and persistence when compared to White people.”  

Eczema presents differently in Black people making it more important that they be informed about the symptoms of the condition.  

Fighting Vaccine Misinformation with Juvenile 

Taking over for the 99 and the 2000 is like a millennial mating call. It flips a switch in the millennial brain flooding it with memories of when it was time to “Back That Thang Up” in a club that didn’t take Apple Pay or put a time limit on sections,  

This made it the perfect track to match the moment when anti-vaccine information was flooding the internet. Juvenile released “Vax That Thang Up” to promote the COVID-19 vaccine.  

He partnered with Mannie Fresh and Mia X on the track giving it an even stronger NOLA flavor.  

Resources 

Los Angeles Times: Millennials’ escalating health problems raise economic concerns 

Blue Cross Blue Shield: The Health of Millennials 

Centers for Disease Control 

Journal of Advances in Cancer Research.  

American Cancer Society: Colorectal Facts & Figures 

Billboard 

The post How Music is Matching the Moment for Millennial Health appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 20,890 newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer in 2025, and 12,730 women will die from the disease. An estimated one woman in 91 will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime.

According to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, the condition is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 55 and 64.

Ovarian Cancer By the Numbers

When one is diagnosed and treated in the earliest stages, the five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. Due to ovarian cancer’s non-specific symptoms and lack of early detection tests, only 20 percent of all cases are diagnosed at this early stage. If caught in stage III or higher, the survival rate can be as low as 30.6 percent.

Due to the nature of the disease, each woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a different profile, and it is impossible to provide a general prognosis. The five-year ovarian cancer survival rate for white women is 50.6%; in Black patients, it’s 43.2%.

How Ovarian Cancer Impacts Black Women

The journal Obstetrics & Gynecology Health Disparities in Ovarian Care did a deep dive into the differences between Black, white, Asian, and Native American populations, Hispanic populations, when it came to diagnosis, care, and mortality. They looked at several years, going back to 1985.

Black patients overall and any other patient with a low socioeconomic background had worse outcomes.

“Black patients had 17–18% worse survival compared with White patients. Potential explanations include earlier age and later stage at diagnosis and disparities across the entire care continuum of ovarian cancer: diagnosis, treatment, and precision testing.”

Other factors that impacted treatment, according to this literature review, included the type of insurance the patient had. If it is non-private, the patient is less likely to have received the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline-concordant ovarian cancer treatment. This resulted in a 10% increase in the patient’s mortality risk. Non-private insurance also impacts access to genetic testing.

If patients lived in rural areas, who didn’t want to travel, or were treated in a lower volume hospital by a surgeon doing fewer surgeries, they received 16-31% NCCN guideline-concordant ovarian cancer treatment.

Bottom line: it is not as simple as a late diagnosis. It is who is treating us, and where we are treated. And if we are getting the correct protocols.

Who is at Risk For Ovarian Cancer?

According to the Ovarian Research Alliance, about 25% of ovarian cancer cases diagnosed are hereditary. And they can be primarily traced to BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 gene mutations (Black women can also have them). The connection is usually a history of breast cancer.

Other risk factors include:

• Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer
• Family history of ovarian, breast, uterine, or colorectal cancer.
• A personal history of cancer or endometriosis
• Early menstruation, no childbirth, first childbirth after 30, late menopause, no oral contraceptives, or infertility increase the risk.
• HRT: Long-term use increases risk, especially with combined estrogen and progestin.
• Obesity is associated with a higher ovarian cancer risk, especially post-menopause.

The American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures Report states, “Some women at high risk because of a strong family history or inherited genetic mutations may consider preventive surgery to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes (prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy), which greatly reduces risk.”

 What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancerous cells are found in the ovaries. An ovary is one of two small, almond-shaped organs located on each side of the uterus that store eggs or germ cells and produce female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

According to The American Cancer Society, however, the disease was previously believed to start only in the cells of the ovaries. But ovarian cancer may also begin in the fallopian tubes.

Types of Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The majority of ovarian cancers are categorized here (85-90%) and can start in the cells of the fallopian tube or the ovaries. The cells are further classified based on genetic analysis into the following categories:

• High-grade serous carcinoma (This is the most common type.)
• Low-grade serous carcinoma
• Endometrioid carcinoma
• Clear cell carcinoma
• Mucinous carcinoma

Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma

This is a rare cancer that is related to epithelial ovarian cancer. However, it may have spread to the abdomen.

Fallopian Tube Cancer

Fallopian tube cancer is similar to epithelial ovarian cancer and often spreads to the ovary and peritoneum.

Ovarian Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors

Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs) are a group of tumors that originate either from the sex cord or stromal cells:

• Sex cord cells are a type of epithelial cell that eventually develop into ovaries (in females) and testes (in males).
• Stromal cells form the connective tissue that gives the ovaries structure.

Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Most ovarian germ cell tumors are benign, but some are cancerous and may be life-threatening. Less than 2% of ovarian cancers are germ cell tumors.

• Dysgerminoma is rare; it is the most common ovarian germ cell cancer.

What Are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, especially in the early stages. This is partly because these two small, almond-shaped organs are deep within the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the uterus.

According to the Mayo Clinic, these are some of the potential signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer:

• Quickly feeling full when eating
• Abdominal bloating or swelling
• Weight loss
• Feeling the need to urinate urgently or often
• Fatigue
• Discomfort in the pelvic area
• Back pain
• Changes in bowel habits, such as constipation

Make an appointment with your HCP if your symptoms are persistent.

Getting Evaluated By Your HCP

Your HCP may need to perform several tests before there is a conclusive diagnosis. They may include:

• A pelvic exam
• Blood tests. The most common tumor marker is a blood test called the CA-125.
• Genetic tests
• Surgery

If Your Results Come Back Positive

Consult a gynecologic oncologist immediately. They may want to review your current test and order additional ones, along with the results. However, the only way to more accurately confirm ovarian cancer is with a biopsy, a procedure in which the doctor takes a sample of the tumor and examines it under a microscope.

Getting Diagnosed

Make the most of your appointment. Come with some questions ready after the initial shock has worn off. Or bring a supportive wingperson with you. A significant other, sister, BFF, or work friend, let them ask the questions you have scribbled in your notebook. But we’ve got a cheat sheet down below to get you started, and you can add more from here.

• What type of ovarian cancer do I have?
• Has my cancer spread beyond the ovaries?
• What is the cancer’s stage (extent), and what does that mean?
• Will I need other tests before we can decide on treatment?
• Will I be able to have children after my treatment?

• Should I think about genetic testing?
• What are my clinical trial options?
• This is overwhelming. Where can I find support?

Partner With Your HCP

After your diagnosis, you’ll partner with your oncologist to choose a customized treatment plan that works for you. The treatment will vary based on the stage of the disease, your age, and your health condition. The ACS points out that most ovarian cancer patients may require surgery. But depending on the type of ovarian cancer and how advanced it is, you might need other types of treatment as well, either before or after surgery, or sometimes both.

Treatment Options May Include:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Targeted Drug Therapy
• Hormone Therapy
• Immonotherapy

Consider Genetic Testing

In an article in Nature, Sophia George explores solutions for why Black women have lower survival rates and higher rates of recurrence. In examining data from the NCI, she noticed that we have higher rates of rarer cancers.

“Black women are more likely to have germ-cell and stromal-cell tumours, and less likely to have epithelial ovarian cancers,” she wrote. Despite these differences, new approaches to clinical care — including genomic medicine — are underutilized in this population. ”

Then there are new treatments like PARP inhibitors, but when only 1.6% participants in the trial are, George says, “the efficacy of PARP inhibitors in Black women remains poorly characterized.”

Finally, she notes that Black patients are less likely to have their tumors analyzed. “This exacerbates disparities in the treatment that they receive and limits cancer-prevention opportunities in family members.”

Using Black women’s poorer response to platinum-based chemotherapy as an example, George believes that genetics may play a role. She argues that there is a similar type of inherited breast and ovarian gene variant in West African, Black American, and white women.

“But certain subpopulations of Black women³ experience hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndromes at rates comparable to or greater than those seen in the Ashkenazi Jewish population, which has considerably higher rates of these cancers than the global average.”

We do know some families within our communities that have been hit hard by breast and ovarian cancers. They could benefit from genetic testing.

Five Preventive Strategies to Fight Ovarian Cancer

Genetic testing also provides insights that enable individuals to identify preventive measures they can take to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer. Here are five that the ORA suggests:

• Using oral contraception for five or more years can reduce ovarian cancer risk by 50%.
• Multiple pregnancies or your first full-term birth by age 26 reduces your risk, and breastfeeding does, too.
• Removal of your Fallopian tubes (Bilateral Salpingectomy). It reduces the risk of cancer forming in the fallopian tubes while preserving fertility with the help of IVF.
• Removal of Fallopian Tubes and Ovaries Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy significantly reduces risk. There is a slight chance you can still get a rare kind of ovarian cancer.  Especially beneficial when performed by age 35-40 for women with BRCA1 mutations or by age 40-45 for those with BRCA2 mutations.
• Hysterectomy and Tubal Ligation: Hysterectomy may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 33%, and tubal ligation by up to 67%.

Resources:

American Cancer Society: Types of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Research Alliance: Prevention and Risks 

Mayo Clinic: Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Health Disparities in Ovarian Care

The post The Silent Killer: Black Women & Ovarian Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

“There are also times when I’m not feeling so great. And I will consult with a doctor. I think it’s good, from a physical standpoint, but mental health is vital. Westbrook explained.

I think that when we are in this day-to-day grind, we forget to check on our mental health.”

Westbrook is returning to co-host the BHM Harlem Week 2025 Health Summit & Expo and wants to see more of his peers at Riverside Church on August 14, 2025.

Why Health Matters Are Personal for Westbrook

The Emmy award-winning reporter grew up in Harlem. Westbrook says his parents were always adamant about getting him regular screenings and heart-related matters.

“Especially, my dad, Artie, in particular. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years ago and due to complications with his heart,” Westbrook recalled.

“So I know just growing up with them, they were always big into just making sure that you’re on top of your health and going to the doctor as often as possible.”

Westbrook also noticed that many of his peers have become parents themselves. That has also made them pay more attention to their well-being. “They’re seeing that it’s beneficial to stay on top of their health as well as their child’s health,” he explained.

Diseases Like Colon and Prostate Cancer Are Impacting Younger People

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 5 people diagnosed with colon cancer, for example, will be under the age of 55. Some of the contributing factors include:

• having obesity and a sedentary lifestyle
• long-term smoking and heavy alcohol consumption
• a  high-fat, low-fiber diet

Westbrook Says Social Media Can Be a Powerful Teaching Tool

“Social media is such a powerful tool. I think that the more you know, the more you grow.”  If word is being spread out there about the importance of getting screened or tested for certain things,” he said.

“It’ll resonate with people. And I think especially with my age group. I’m in that millennial age group. And so I think we’re starting even to see a shift in how we’re conceptualizing our health and why it’s so important.”

Westbrook gave an example. “Wait until your 40s to get a prostate exam. But now, the advice is “if you feel that certain things aren’t right, get screened. Go see a doctor,” he said

Why Westbrook Keeps Coming Back to the Harlem Summit

“This would be my fourth time participating in the Black Health Matters Summit, and it’s a fun event,” he said. “Just the energy with everyone there, from the different sessions, panel discussions, and the energy in general, is so electrifying,” the reporter said.

“But I think people walk out of there feeling motivated to be on top of their health, and I would love for that to be continued this time around. It’s just amazing to hear from folks after a panel discussion say,

‘You know, I’ve really learned a lot from these professionals who are up there on stage about this particular subject matter.’

People are invested in these things, and so I’m hoping that that’s the same notion that resonates again,” he continued.

Westbrook Wants to See His Peers There

One of the reasons that Westbrook keeps coming back is that he has seen the sessions be beneficial to participants’ lives year after year. Those benefits have no age limit. So he’s doing his best to convince his peers to show up, starting with some of his friends.

“I’m trying to encourage some of my friends to spread the word about it. Because it’s not an “older person’s problem”. Again, we’re seeing people my age and younger, developing ailments that, years ago, we never would have thought would ever occur,” Westbrook notes.

So that’s what I’m hoping for this time, right? To be inspired, to be motivated, and, of course, to have fun.”

Join Elijah Westbrook at the BHM Harlem Week Health Summit & Expo in-person or virtually by registering through this link.

The post Elijah Westbrook Wants Millennials to Take Their Health Seriously appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Wenora Johnson, President, Board of Directors

Wenora’s journey into advocacy started with a life-altering diagnosis. “My goal at that time was just to survive,” she recalls, reflecting on her stage 3b colorectal cancer diagnosis at age 44. It wasn’t until a genetic test revealed Lynch syndrome that the full scope of her situation became clear.

Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), is the most common cause of hereditary colorectal (colon) cancer. “It had actually been sitting there for 15 years,” she realized, stressing the importance of knowing your family history and getting early screenings.

The genetic testing experience became a defining moment, leading Wenora to FORCE. “Testing positive for being a Lynch syndrome carrier highlighted the importance of understanding one’s genetic risks”, she explains. Wenora started as a peer navigator, supporting others facing similar diagnoses.

Her involvement with FORCE expanded, leading to her serving on the board and eventually becoming board president. “These people are genuine scientists and geneticists behind the scenes, providing information to help individuals make choices,” she emphasizes, highlighting FORCE’s commitment to reliable information.

Much of her advocacy work centers on dispelling misconceptions about clinical trials and encouraging greater participation from people of color. “If we don’t, then we lose,” she states. Representation in research is vital. Her experience participating in a Lynch syndrome vaccine trial reemphasizes her commitment to ‘walk the walk.’

“FORCE is that beacon of light when we’re looking for information,” she concludes, again stressing the organization’s role in breaking down barriers, providing accurate information, and empowering individuals to take control of their health. She wants to ensure that future generations, including her grandchildren, can access reliable resources and support.

Verinda Hobbs,  Partnerships Strategy Manager

Her connective story began with her sister’s breast cancer diagnosis in 1993, at just 28 years old, and at a time when it was common for the medical community to overlook the possibility of a cancer diagnosis because of her age. This wasn’t just a family tragedy; it was a wake-up call. Her family realized they didn’t talk about health history enough, and doctors weren’t asking the right questions. “We don’t know if she hadn’t been so young, or if she hadn’t been Black, if there would have been different treatment options offered to her,” she says, highlighting how crucial it is to be your own advocate. Unfortunately, Verinda’s sister lost her battle with breast cancer a few years later, at age 32.

Then, the discovery of a BRCA1 gene mutation in a cousin prompted a deeper dive into their family’s health history, revealing a pattern of aggressive cancers.

This led Verinda and another sister to undergo genetic testing, confirming their own BRCA1 carrier status. “In a way, having a gene mutation almost gives you…the ability to chart my own destiny,” she explains, highlighting her proactive approach to managing her genetic risks. This included preventative surgeries and vigilant screenings.

Verinda initially found unwavering support with FORCE. The organization guided her journey and helped her navigate a path forward. Now, she’s passionate about helping others. Verinda became a patient advocate to “get information out there and help people become more aware” of hereditary cancers, stressing the importance of self-advocacy and understanding family history. She wants everyone to know that knowing your risks is empowering and that you don’t have to do this alone.

Juanita Rogers, Vice President,  Health Education & Communication

While her background is rooted in public health rather than personal cancer experience, Juanita’s commitment to FORCE stems from a deep concern for health disparities. Coming from a large family, Juanita understood that her family failed to have essential conversations around health, propelling her career in public health and education.

“Being empowered and feeling as though it’s not negative to have these conversations is what I would like to see for my family and for the Black community, as well,” She explained.

In her role, Juanita translates complex scientific information into accessible language, ensuring diverse audiences understand hereditary cancer risks. She emphasizes the importance of open communication about family health history, particularly within communities that have historically faced barriers to healthcare access. “It’s important to be able to feel empowered to ask questions and to achieve the most optimal health that you can,” she notes, advocating for proactive engagement with healthcare providers.

FORCE is crucial in disseminating accurate information and addressing misconceptions surrounding genetic testing and hereditary cancers.

“We do share information. I harp on X-RAY (Behind The Headlines) because it’s a great way to share real information and research in a plain language,” she states. FORCE also combats misinformation through its How to spot the BOAST feature and provides comprehensive resources on genetic counseling.

“Knowing that we are here for the community in various ways…is most important,” Juanita emphasizes, underscoring FORCE’s dedication to accessibility and support. She encourages individuals to view themselves as active participants in their healthcare, utilizing FORCE’s resources to make informed decisions about their genetic health.

What We Should Know

FORCE is an invaluable resource on the types of hereditary cancers and what we need to know about them. While 10-20% of all cancers are believed to be caused by an inherited mutation (hereditary cancer), it is crucial to be well-informed on the types, signs, and the specifics on how inherited cancers are passed on from generation to generation.

FacingOurRisk.org shares a wealth of information on the types of cancers and their associated genes. Understanding how genes are passed down from generation to generation, mother or father, and sometimes skipping generations, only amplifies the importance of families having the necessary health conversations to make proactive health decisions for everyone. They offer resources, support, and a sense of community but also empower individuals through awareness and encouragement.

Center for Disease Control: Lynch Syndrome

JAMA Oncology, March 2021, BRACA-1 Gene Research supported the need for more Black women to be tested.

The post Understanding Hereditary Cancer: When Genes Tell the Story appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The Growing Threat

Colon cancer is no longer just a concern for older adults. Over the past two decades, cases among people under 50 have risen steadily, climbing by around 1 to 2 percent annually. According to the University of Washington School of Medicine, colorectal cancer is expected to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for those under 50 by 2030.

What’s even more troubling is how often younger patients are blindsided. Many don’t have a family history of the disease or other traditional risk factors, which leaves symptoms like abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, or changes in bowel habits dismissed or overlooked until it’s too late.

For younger adults, this delay often means the cancer is diagnosed at a more advanced stage, complicating treatment options and outcomes.

What’s Behind the Numbers?

While the exact reasons for the rise in early-onset colorectal cancer aren’t fully understood, researchers point to several likely contributors:

Dietary Shifts

The modern Western diet, rich in processed foods and low in fiber, has been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. Fiber is key to a healthy gut, yet most Americans fall far short of the recommended 25 to 34 grams daily.

Studies suggest that fiber can lower colon cancer risk by up to 15 percent, but diets heavy in fast food and processed snacks do the opposite.

Inactivity and Obesity

The connection between obesity and colorectal cancer risk is well-established, with obesity increasing the likelihood by approximately 30 percent, according to the CDC. Lack of exercise only makes matters worse. Regular physical activity helps reduce inflammation, improves gut health, and directly lowers cancer risk, but sedentary lifestyles are far too common.

Gut Microbiome Disruption

According to the National Library of Medicine, poor diets and long-term antibiotic use can throw gut bacteria balance off track, potentially accelerating cancer development. The gut microbiome is vital for digestion and immunity, but these disruptions may pave the way for disease.

Genetics and Environmental Factors

While inherited conditions like Lynch syndrome play a role for some, the majority of younger colon cancer patients don’t have a family history, suggesting environmental exposures or unidentified triggers may contribute.

Why Colon Cancer Hits Our Community Harder

For Black Americans, the picture is even more alarming. We are 20 percent more likely to develop colorectal cancer and 40 percent more likely to die from it than other racial groups, according to the American Cancer Society. These disparities stem from more than just biology; they’re shaped by systemic inequities that create barriers to care and prevention. Some obstacles that challenge our community include:

• Living in Food Deserts: Living in areas without access to fresh, affordable food makes it much harder to maintain a fiber-rich, cancer-fighting diet. Processed and high-fat foods dominate in these environments, increasing risk factors like obesity.
• Issues Access Healthcare and Screenings: Our community faces limited access to healthcare and insurance, leading to delayed colorectal cancer screenings. Only 65 percent of Black Americans participate in recommended screenings, compared to higher rates in other populations.
• Receiving Diagnosis at Later Stages: Black patients are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease. Nearly 26 percent of early-onset cases in Black Americans are metastatic at diagnosis, compared to 22 percent among White Americans, according to the Colon Cancer Foundation.

What You Can Do

While colon cancer may feel intimidating, there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself and those you love. Start by paying attention to your body. If you notice changes in bowel habits, unexplained weight loss, blood in the stool, or persistent fatigue, don’t brush it off. Push for answers, and if your concerns aren’t taken seriously, get a second opinion. Early detection saves lives.

Screenings are your best defense. The American Cancer Society now recommends starting screenings at age 45 for those at average risk.

But if you have a family history or other factors, consider starting earlier. Screenings can detect early-stage cancers and even remove precancerous polyps before they develop into something more dangerous.

Small lifestyle changes can also make a big difference. Here are some things to consider:

•  Include fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your diet.
•  Aim for 150 minutes of moderate weekly exercise to lower inflammation and improve overall health.
• Cut down on processed and red meats while maintaining a healthy weight.
• Most importantly, normalize conversations about health within your family. Sharing medical histories and discussing symptoms can empower everyone to seek care sooner.

Rewriting the Narrative

Colon cancer doesn’t fit its old stereotypes anymore. It’s showing up earlier, hitting harder, and disproportionately affecting our community. But awareness and action can change the story. With stronger advocacy for screening, lifestyle shifts, and open conversations, we can face this challenge together. Let’s protect ourselves, our families, and our future by putting health at the forefront, because this is one fight we can take on and win.

The post Colon Cancer Is A Growing Risk For Older Millennials appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Cologuard allows anyone to collect a stool sample, ship it out, and have it screened. The majority of the process occurs in the privacy and comfort of their homes.

The twenty-somethings standing on nightclub couches when the original song was released in 2002 are now forty-somethings at the prime age to get screened. “3-6-9, damn, it’s time/If you’re 45 screen with it, get in line,” are just some of the hysterical revised lyrics.

His track aims to use humor and nostalgia to encourage people to get screened before symptoms appear, something tough for those reluctant to be seen by medical professionals due to a history of systemic exclusion.

“Black and Brown people, we do not like to go to the doctor until something’s wrong,” Lil Jon told Black Health Matters in an interview. “I’m so happy I’m doing this campaign because, you know, we could catch some things.”

A 2021 article in the AMA Journal of Ethics said that “Transgenerational trauma is a potential barrier to achieving a healthy and holistic patient-physician relationship, particularly for Black Americans.”

He is not bashful about the theme of bathroom humor. “I think that’s the only way to do it,” he said. He knows people need entertainment to focus on something this serious because he requires the same. “I saw the Cologuard commercials, but I never really paid attention to what it was about,” he admitted.

“It kind of grabs you right away,” he said about the fun song. “We all get the joke, it’s a funny commercial. Y’all can go to getlow2.com to see the commercial and also to order your kits. But it just makes it easier to palette this subject because it’s funny because the song is called ‘Get Low #2,’ and you have to take a #2 to do the colon cancer screen with the Cologuard kit. So I thought it was pretty hilarious.”

Colon cancer is a serious threat to the health of the Black community. According to a 2018 article in The American Journal of Pathology, “African Americans have the highest incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) of any ethnic group in the United States.” The American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that “Blacks have a higher mortality from this malignancy, particularly men, yet screening rates in this population are often found to be lower.”

Colon cancer has snatched the lives of hip-hop greats. Beloved hip-hop podcaster Combat Jack lost his battle with it in December of 2017. He used some of his last months to spread awareness by encouraging others to get screened. Recently, DJ Clark Kent succumbed to it.

This is not Lil Jon’s first foray into promoting health care in the Black community. “I’m all about health,” he said. “I’ve always kind of been about my health, but I took it to another level in the last two years.”

He released an album of Manifest Abundance: Affirmations for Personal Growth in April. He wants to normalize seeking mental health treatment for his fellow Black men. “We kind of suffer in silence, you know? We don’t talk about our problems. Therapy has been made to be taboo for just Black folks, in general,” he said.

He began committing to preventative health measures in his personal life after seeing someone in his circle be forced to have a triple bypass surgery. “It just shocked me enough to say. I need to get my health in check,” he said.

Since then, he has worked with trainers on his diet and exercise regime. He is so dedicated that he has memorized the healthiest menu options near his Las Vegas residency. Hopping off stage and shoving chicken rings and cheese fries in his mouth after every set isn’t an option.

“It’s okay to say, eat a fast food burger now and then, but you can’t eat it daily. We need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in our diets,” he said.

“It helps me to be on point with my eating because eating is, you know, one of the main parts of being healthy,” he added.

“Much of this boils down to what you put in your body.”

Nutrition is important, but laughter is one of the best medicines. In the silly but catchy video for “Get Low #2,” he reminds viewers, “The Cologuard test can catch pre-cancer before it becomes cancer/ OH-KAY!”

He is thrilled with its reception. “People are having fun with it, and this social media response has been overwhelmingly great and amazing, and people love it,” he continued.

“A lot of people said they were going to order their kits and get screened. So, it’s already doing what it’s supposed to do.”

Watch the full video below.

The post Lil Jon Wants Us To “Get Low” To Check For Colon Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

In an interview with VladTV, he said, “I played all kinds of music back then. Funny enough, it wasn’t about a certain style.”

He was already doing gigs when rapper Dana Dane hired him to be his DJ at his gig at Washington Irving High School.

Clark Kent was a quick study, learning to produce and create remixes, which allowed him to work with rappers and R&B acts. In 1995, he produced the Notorious B. I.G. Group,  Junior M.A.F.I.A. hit song, Player’s Anthem, introducing us to Lil’ Kim. The following year, he produced a trio of tracks for Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt album, including ‘Brooklyn’s Finest,” which also included Biggie. His collaboration with Mariah Carey in 2001 for her Glitter album, “Loverboy,” reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

An avid sneakerhead, the collector had amassed more than 3,000 pairs in his collection. Nike offered the following statement. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and true cultural icon, DJ Clark Kent. At Nike, we were honored to collaborate with Clark on projects that celebrated not only his deep love for sneakers but also his unwavering dedication to pushing creative boundaries and elevating culture,” Nike said in a statement issued to Billboard by a company spokesperson.

Clark Kent valiantly battled colon cancer for three years before succumbing to the disease. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in our community among both men and women. We are also being diagnosed at younger ages. More than one in three Black people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Check here for more information on prevention and screening.

Our sincere condolences go out to his wife, Kesha, daughter, Kabriah, and son, Antonio. And we look forward to the documentary “God’s Favorite DJ: The Story of DJ Clark Kent,” directed by Angie Martinez.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DJ Clark Kent (@djclarkkent)

The post DJ Clark Kent Has Died After a Battle With Colon Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The Generational Shift

Imagine this, or rather, you don’t have to imagine it because it’s our reality. Today, a woman in her 30s faces a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer compared to her grandmother at the same age, according to Scientific American. And this isn’t limited to just one type of cancer. We’re talking about colorectal, breast, pancreatic, and many others. This widespread issue spans several types of cancer, making it even more alarming. According to a comprehensive model-based cohort analysis of nationwide, high-quality cancer incidence and mortality data, the incidence rates for 17 cancer types have increased in progressively younger birth cohorts in the USA. In other words, more young people are being diagnosed with cancer than ever before.

What’s Behind the Rise?

You may wonder what’s driving this increase. Several factors are involved. The modern diet, rich in processed foods and sugary drinks, is a primary culprit. Sedentary lifestyles and rising obesity rates among younger generations also contribute.

A study from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan found that less than half of people aged 18 to 25 exercised at least once a week in early 2022, and the situation hasn’t improved.

It’s not just about diet and exercise; environmental factors play a crucial role, too. People today are exposed to more pollutants, chemicals, and radiation than previous generations. Additionally, tobacco and alcohol use remain prevalent among younger generations, consistently harming their health.

Early Detection

One of the most effective ways to combat the rise in cancer diagnoses is through early detection. Regular screenings can catch cancer in its early stages. For instance, colorectal cancer screenings can detect precancerous polyps, allowing for early intervention and potentially saving lives.

Research and Education

Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach. We need more research to understand the underlying causes of cancer in young people.

In an interview with PBS News, the CEO of the American Cancer Society mentioned that they have been seeing early indicators of a rise in cancers at an earlier age over the last several years. Early onset colorectal cancer, for example, has shown declining incidence in populations aged 65 and above but rising in those 50 and younger. These are ages for which they previously did not consider someone to be at risk for colorectal cancer.

We must prioritize research into specific risk factors affecting younger populations, including genetics, biological factors, and the impact of the collective modern lifestyle and environmental aspects.

According to the American Cancer Society, the incidence rate of colorectal cancer among Black adults under 50 has been increasing by about 2% per year. Additionally, the overall cancer incidence rate for Black people under 50 is higher compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Our community needs more targeted prevention and early detection efforts.

Taking Action

This is a reminder that cancer doesn’t discriminate by age. It’s a call to action for healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to develop strategies to alleviate this surge. By understanding the contributing factors, we can work towards reversing this trend and ensuring a healthier future for all generations. If you are under 50, know that you are not too young to develop cancer. Consider getting screened, explore your family health history, and stay informed.

The post The New Face of Cancer is Getter Younger and Younger appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The Early Years

During her tenure as California’s Attorney General, Harris was a dedicated advocate for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She recognized its potential to significantly expand healthcare access for millions of women and took decisive action to defend the ACA in court. Her efforts ensured that women could access essential health services without financial barriers. This commitment to women’s health laid a solid foundation for her career in the U.S. Senate and beyond.

Her Fight Against Fibroids

Harris’s focus on women’s health intensified as she transitioned to representing California in the U.S. Senate. One of her early legislative efforts was the introduction of the Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act in 2020. This bill was geared toward increasing funding for research and raising awareness about uterine fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects our community.

Her Push for Affordable Healthcare

In 2019, Kamala Harris proposed a plan to prevent the U.S. from paying more for prescription medication than other developed countries. Her plan aimed to cap drug prices at an average of those in different nations.

During her presidential run, Harris also advocated for Medicare for All, a single-payer insurance proposal. She emphasized the deeply personal nature of healthcare for Americans and envisioned a comprehensive healthcare system covering all medically necessary services, from emergency room visits to mental health and reproductive health care. She also proposed empowering the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, aiming to make health care accessible and affordable.

“There is perhaps no more complicated or personal issue for Americans than health care. I know this from my own personal life, caring for my mother as she battled colon cancer. And I also know it from talking to so many Americans in this campaign — seniors and union members, young people and parents, workers and caregivers,” said Harris in the article she wrote for Medium.

She Prioritizes Black Maternal Health

First, the federal Maternal Health Day of Action at the White House called to improve health outcomes for parents and infants in the United States. “Before, during, and after childbirth, women in our nation are dying at a higher rate than any other developed nation in our world,” Harris stated during the Maternal Day of Action Summit. “Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications. We should do something about that.” She has highlighted the alarming rates of maternal mortality, especially amongst our community. As a Senator, she co-introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act with Congresswomen Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams in 2020. This bill aims to improve maternal health outcomes, particularly amongst our community and other communities that face disparities. As a result, a significant achievement was the passage of the Protecting Moms Who Served Act on November 30, 2021, which focuses on maternal care for veterans. Still, the complete Momnibus package is being advocated for, with the latest version introduced on May 15, 2023.

Her Support for Reproductive Rights

As Senator, Harris co-sponsored legislation aimed at eliminating state-level restrictions, such as mandatory tests for doctors or the requirement for doctors to have hospital admitting privileges to perform abortions. During her 2019 presidential campaign, Harris proposed that states with a history of violating Roe v. Wade should undergo pre-clearance for new abortion laws, securing federal approval before they could be enacted. In December 2023, Harris launched the “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, aiming to counteract the effects of abortion bans and advocate for the restoration of Roe v. Wade protections.

As reported by CNN, in March of 2024, Harris made history by becoming the first sitting vice president to visit an abortion clinic. She toured a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota, highlighting the ongoing healthcare crisis.

“The reason I’m here is because this is a health care crisis,” Harris said. “Part of this health care crisis is the clinics like this that have had to shut down and what that has meant to leave no options with any reasonable geographic area for so many women who need this essential care.”

Kamala Harris’s advocacy for women’s health is extensive. While we have touched on some of the key highlights, her work spans a much broader spectrum. By looking back at some of her major contributions, we can gain insights into potential future developments. By staying informed, we can collectively strive to create a healthier and more equitable future for ourselves, our mothers, sisters, friends, and women everywhere.

The post Where Does VP Kamala Harris Stand on Healthcare? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

We spoke with Dr. Folasade May, Co-Leader of the SU2C Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team, about the importance of screenings, why we are reluctant, and how we can overcome our fears. According to Dr. May, ‘Many of the risk factors for colorectal cancer are more prevalent in black individuals. So when you talk about the use of tobacco, when you talk about overweight, obesity, diabetes, and an unfavorable diet, these are things that, unfortunately, are more common in black communities than in white communities. And that’s playing a role,” she says.

The Benefits of Screenings

However, Dr. May points out that the other factor that plays a strong role is differences in who participates in screening. “Screening can be life-saving, and for colorectal cancer, we’re very fortunate that they work in two ways. Screening can help prevent disease in the first place because when we screen, we look for polyps in the colon and take out those polyps. They don’t have a chance to transform into cancer,” she explains. “So it’s very powerful that we can prevent people from getting cancer in the first place. And the second way that screening works is that it’s a tool for early detection. So even if you didn’t benefit from screening for removing polyps, we can do screening and find cancers early enough that we can remove them, and people can be cured.”

The Idea of a Colonoscopy is Scarier Than The Actual Procedure

Overall, women are better than men at taking care of their health appointments than men. But preparing for a colonoscopy ( a day-long fast), taking the day off, and arranging to be picked up (and having your children picked up) may cause you to put the procedure off. Dr. May says if taking days off is impossible, there are alternatives, “It’s not only colonoscopy; we now have other screening tools that you can use that you can do in the comfort of your own home. These are called stool-based screening tests. You will be given an instruction kit and a safe and hygienic way to collect the sample of that stool, put it in a container, and send it to a laboratory where they test it,” she explains. And it doesn’t matter which of these you do, a colonoscopy or the stool test; the important thing is that you do it, you do it at 45, and you do it at the proper intervals. So you do some stool tests yearly, whereas colonoscopy is every 10 years.”

Colon Cancer is No Longer an Older Person’s Disease

When Dr. May began researching colon cancer, she was told it was more prevalent among older adults in their 60s and 70s. However, that is no longer the case. “Right now, we are seeing colorectal cancer and people in their 30s. And in their 40s and 50s. It’s what we call early-onset colorectal cancer,” she says. “So we’re seeing a drop in cases because screening is working in people under 50; we’re seeing a rise, and that’s across the board by ethnicity and race. So we have this epidemic now that we call early-onset colorectal cancer, and we’re trying to raise awareness, not only in black individuals who are high risk but also in young individuals who need to know that we’ve dropped the screening age to 45 and that they are at risk now. It’s no longer an old person’s disease.”

Note: If you have severe abdominal pain, gut issues, constipation, or weight loss, see your doctor even if you are a young person

How Do We Prevent Colon Cancer

Dr. May points out that one way to prevent colon cancer is to focus on keeping people healthy. One way to do this is to start by teaching children and teens good habits they can carry into their twenties.

Other recommendations include:

• • • Eliminate tobacco
    • Minimize alcohol consumption (particularly binge alcohol drinking)
    • Stay physically active (cardio and strength training)
    • limit processed food (especially processed meat)
    • Limit red meat
    • Eat more fiber
    • Monitor Calcium and Vitamin D levels

Stand Up To Cancer has funded colorectal cancer research and has Health Equity screening sites in Boston, Los Angeles, and Tribal Nations in South Dakota to support the underserved needs of our communities. To learn more, click here.

The post Dr. Folasade May, On Colorectal Cancer & Health Equity appeared first on Black Health Matters.

To help men, especially African American men, prioritize their well-being, Black Health Matters present the Men’s Health Checklist. While it is important for each individual to be cognizant of their family history and personal issues, this comprehensive guide outlines the essential screenings and exams that men should consider at different stages of life, ensuring proactive health management and an improved quality of life.

In Your 20s:

• Annual Physical Exam: Make it a habit to schedule an annual check-up with your primary care physician. This will allow them to assess your overall health, review your family medical history, and establish a baseline for future comparisons.
• Sexual Health: If you’re sexually active, it’s important to get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) annually or more frequently based on your sexual behavior. Openly discuss safe sex practices and any concerns you may have with your doctor.
• Skin Check: Regularly examine your skin for any new or changing moles and other skin abnormalities. If you notice any concerning changes, seek the advice of a dermatologist.

In Your 30s:

• Blood Pressure: African American men, in particular, have a higher risk of hypertension. Have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. If you have a family history of hypertension or other risk factors, consider more frequent monitoring to stay ahead of any potential issues.
• Cholesterol Levels: Starting at age 35, it’s advisable to have your cholesterol levels checked every five years. African American men tend to have higher cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease. If you have risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, or smoking, consult your doctor for earlier and more regular screenings.
• Testicular Examination: Perform monthly self-examinations to detect any lumps or abnormalities in the testicles. If you notice anything unusual, consult a healthcare professional.

In Your 40s:

• Prostate Health: African American men have a higher risk of prostate cancer and tend to develop it at a younger age. Engage in a discussion with your doctor about prostate cancer screening, usually through a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. Consider starting discussions earlier, around age 45, to stay proactive in your health management.
• Diabetes Screening: African American men are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Consider getting screened for diabetes every three years, especially if you have risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, or a sedentary lifestyle.
• Colon Cancer Screening: Beginning at age 45, African American men should have a conversation with their doctor about the various screening options available for colon cancer, including colonoscopy or stool tests. Regular screenings can help detect early signs of colorectal cancer.

In Your 50s and Beyond:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening: If you’re between the ages of 65 and 75 and have ever smoked or have a family history of AAA, including African American men, it’s important to consider a one-time ultrasound screening to assess the health of the abdominal aorta.
• Bone Density Test: African American men are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures. Discuss a bone density test with your doctor, particularly if you have risk factors. This discussion is especially crucial for men aged 65 and older.
• Eye Exam: African American men are at a higher risk of developing glaucoma and other vision-related issues. As you age, regular eye exams become essential. Schedule comprehensive eye exams at least every two years or as recommended by your ophthalmologist.

Taking proactive steps toward maintaining good health is of utmost importance for men of all ages, especially African American men. The Men’s Health Checklist serves as a valuable reminder, outlining crucial check-ups at various stages of life.

By prioritizing regular screenings and exams alongside adopting a healthy lifestyle, you can identify potential health issues early on and significantly contribute to a healthier and happier life. Remember, investing in your health today will pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

The post Prioritizing Men’s Health: An Essential Checklist for Every Age appeared first on Black Health Matters.

What is Bowel Cancer?

Bowel cancer starts in the rectum or colon. It often begins as polyps that, when caught early, can be removed before advancing to more serious forms of the disease that can be life-threatening. According to the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, over 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer each year. Over 50,000 will die from it. However, with regular screening and removal of polyps and abnormal cells, bowel cancer is often preventable.

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Symptoms of bowel cancer are often mistaken for many other, more common and less serious conditions. For example, many people experience diarrhea, constipation, and bloating from time to time. However, if these symptoms are persistent or come on suddenly, you should report this change to your healthcare provider.

Severe symptoms include changes in bowel habits, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, cramps, fullness, weight loss, and fatigue.

Risk Factors for Bowel Cancer

There are many risk factors for bowel cancer, some of which you can adjust to lower your risk and improve your overall health in the process. It’s important to discuss all risk factors with your healthcare provider so you can work with them on a plan for appropriate screening for colorectal cancer and other health conditions you may be at risk for, such as hypertension, diabetes, and other forms of cancer.

• Age: More and more people aged 20-45 are developing polyps that may lead to bowel cancer. However, it is still most common in those over 50.
• Diet: A diet high in red meat, especially when cooked at high temperatures, can increase your risk of bowel cancer. Low vitamin D levels may also contribute. A healthy diet can decrease risk considerably, especially when used to maintain a healthy weight.
• Tobacco and Alcohol Use: Both smoking and heavy, long-term drinking are linked to many types of cancer and chronic health conditions. Those who stop smoking can improve their overall health, better manage existing issues, and may help prevent others.
• Activity Level: Not being physically active can slow the bowels and contribute to cancer risk. You can reduce this risk by following the CDC’s exercise recommendations for adults.
• Weight: Being overweight or obese seems to affect men more than women. However, a healthy diet and staying active may help you maintain a healthy weight, improving your risk for bowel cancer and other health conditions.
• Colorectal Polyps: Having adenomas (polyps) removed during a previous colonoscopy increases the risk of developing additional ones that could become colon or rectal cancer in the future.
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD is not the same as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and instead leads to dysplasia, or abnormal cells in the lining of the bowels that may eventually become cancerous cells. Examples of IBD include ulcerative colitis and Chron’s Disease which affect the inner lining of the bowels.
• Family History: According to research, as many as one-third of those who develop colorectal cancer will have a close relative with it as well. It’s important to know the medical history of your parents, grandparents, and siblings.
• Ethnic Background: African American, American Indian, and Alaska Native people have the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the United States.
• History of Cancer: Having had some form of cancer in the past puts you at an increased risk of bowel cancer.
• Other Genetic Conditions: There are several other health conditions closely linked to bowel cancer, such as Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Diagnosing Colon or Rectal Cancer

Screening tests for bowel cancer are recommended starting at age 45. There are many tests available depending on your risk level, preferences, insurance coverage, and other several factors.

• Stool Tests: There are several types of stool tests that are used to detect blood, such as gFOBT (guaiac-based fecal occult blood test) and FIT (fecal immunochemical test). Another test, the FIT-DNA test, helps to detect altered DNA.
• Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: A flexible tube fitted with a light is used to check for polyps and other signs of cancer cells. It is limited to the rectum and the lower colon.
• Colonoscopy: This more intensive test checks the entire colon and is usually used as a follow-up when other tests are abnormal or done every ten years routinely. Polyps and some most common types of cancer cells can be removed using a flexible tube and specialized instruments.
• CT Colonography: Also known as a virtual colonoscopy, a CT colonography uses computer technology to view the entire colon, but does not offer the added benefit of removing any suspect polyps or cancerous cells should they be detected.

Bowel Cancer Treatment

Early-stage colon or rectal cancer is often treated by removing the affected polyps with a polypectomy. Larger polyps may require removing a small section of the colon as well through an endoscopic mucosal resection. If there are several polyps present or they cannot be removed through a standard colonoscopy, your treatment team may recommend laparoscopic surgery. When caught early, minimal treatment is needed.

Advanced Bowel Cancer Treatment

Treatment for advanced bowel cancer is more involved and can include everything from surgery to chemotherapy. Your treatment team will carefully consider your test results, risk factors, and more, to determine the best possible care.

• Surgery: Surgical treatments for advanced rectal cancer or colon cancer may include a partial colectomy (removal of part of the colon), an ostomy (changing the way stool leaves the body), or removal of the lymph nodes. If colorectal cancer is terminal, bowel surgery may be used to relieve symptoms, such as removing a blockage or treating excessive bleeding.
• Chemotherapy: Treating advanced bowel cancer with chemotherapy can help shrink cancer until it can be removed surgically or relieve symptoms of terminal colon or rectal cancer. It is often used alongside other cancer treatments like radiation therapy.
• Radiation Therapy: This therapy can be used like chemotherapy to shrink cancer until it can be removed surgically or to relieve symptoms.
• Targeted Drug Therapy: Based on the specific type of cancer cells present, drugs may be used to block their growth and even kill them, thereby forcing cancer into remission. It is typically used with other cancer treatments.
• Immunotherapy: Similar to targeted drug therapy, immunotherapy uses medications to target cancer cells. However, these drugs boost the body’s immune system to help it fight the cancer itself.
• Palliative Care: If colorectal cancer is severe and treatments are not effective, supportive care may help relieve symptoms. A treatment team can suggest ways to improve the quality and length of life for both the patient and their family.

African Americans and Bowel Cancer

More Black people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer than any other race in the United States every year. Death rates are also higher for those who have been diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer. What causes this and what can be done to correct it?

Colorectal Cancer Facts

African Americans are at high risk for bowel cancer and for several reasons, from genetic reasons to a lack of preventative care like routine screening tests. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy offers more insight into the startling facts about colorectal cancer and Black people. Let’s look at a few of them.

• 1 in 41 Black men will die from colon or rectal cancer compared to 1 in 48 Black men. Comparatively, 1 in 44 Black women will die from it versus 1 in 53 White women.
• African Americans are more likely to develop polyps on the right side of the colon where they are harder to detect.
• Black people are more likely to be diagnosed more advanced bowel cancer when treatment options are limited.
• Black Americans are at higher risk for cancer of all types, and cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.

Factors Affecting the Black Population

The American Cancer Society has compiled recent statistics and is predicting how bowel cancer will affect the African American population through 2024 in their “Cancer Facts & Figures” report. This report is highly detailed, but the things you should know are:

• African American men are much more likely to refuse a colonoscopy and other preventative screening measures.
• Bowel cancer is more likely in those with a family history, causing an increased risk for relatives.
• Lifestyle choices that increase the risk for colorectal cancer, like diet and tobacco use, are higher in the Black population.
• Access to care due to lack of health insurance, transportation, or other resources is limited for many who are considered low-income.
• Co-existing health conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, cause increased risk for bowel cancer and other cancers in general.
• Some states, such as those in the south with many more underserved African American neighborhoods, have higher rates of bowel cancer.

Preventing Bowel Cancer

Colorectal cancer has a survival rate of 90%, but this is only with early detection, so screening is key. For those of average risk of bowel cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends routine colon cancer screening starting at age 45. This was recently updated from the previous recommended age of 50. There are many types of screening tests, from stool-based tests to a CT colonography.

Those at high risk, including African Americans with additional risk factors, should begin screenings earlier and get them more often at the direction of their doctor.

Black Americans at High Risk for Bowel Cancer

Black Health Matters cares and is helping to make the African American community aware of their risk simply because of their ethnic background. Screening is the first step in preventing bowel cancer, and more African-Americans should be aware of their risk and screening recommendations. You should discuss any other possible risk factors, such as family history, with your healthcare provider and begin screening at age 45.

The post The Importance of Early Detection: Screening for Bowel Cancer in African Americans appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The reasons are complex, as there are multiple factors that contribute to the higher incidence of colorectal cancer in the community.

Here are Five Key Reasons:

#1: Lack of Adequate Health Care

Proper healthcare is instrumental in the fight against colorectal cancer. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They also can find colorectal cancer early when treatment is most effective.

The American Cancer Society now recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer begin regular screening at age 45. Blacks are less likely than Whites to get screened for colorectal cancer, and some of those concerns are related to expense, particularly for people who don’t have health insurance.

Although a colonoscopy is the most expensive screening method, there are other, more cost-effective options available. The cost might be a deterrent for some, although insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid, usually covers the cost of a colonoscopy. Please contact your doctor to discuss cost-effective screening options.

Even though Blacks have higher colorectal incidence than Whites, Blacks are less likely than Whites to receive a recommendation for colorectal screening, according to a National Institute of Health (NIH) study. Physicians, the study found, are less likely to recommend screening if they believe the patients won’t be able to pay for it.

For patients, trust in their doctor is an important factor in their decision to get screened for colorectal cancer, and Blacks have a history of mistrust in health providers, which can stem from negative experiences.

#2: Lack of Representation In Clinical Research

Clinical trials are carried out for all types and stages of colorectal cancer. Many patients may explore if a new treatment is safer and more effective than existing treatments. These types of studies evaluate new drugs, different combinations of treatments, new approaches to radiation therapy or surgery, and new methods of treatment.

Blacks have been historically underrepresented in clinical trials, accounting for just 5% of clinical trial participants in the United States, while White patients make up the vast majority of participants. Diverse representation in clinical trials is essential, as it allows researchers to learn how treatments work for and impact different populations.

The research community has been focusing its efforts on improving clinical trial diversity. It is important to study the genetic differences in patient populations regarding race and ethnicity. Studies that focus on colorectal cancer are ongoing and looking for patients. Learn more about one such study for patients with late-stage diagnosis, the OrigAMI-1 Colorectal Cancer Study.

#3: Not Knowing Family History

One risk factor for colorectal cancer is a family history of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. This NIH study shows that Blacks may be less likely to know their family history of cancer than Whites, and family members are less likely to tell relatives about the finding of colonic polyps.

This lack of information could be a reason Blacks are less likely than Whites to get screened for colorectal cancer, leading to potentially higher incidences of diagnoses and fatalities related to the disease. Colorectal screening is critical, as many people with the disease do not have early warning symptoms.

Talking to people who know your family medical history can help you and your doctor determine if you are at an elevated risk for colorectal cancer. This knowledge can help ensure you get screened at the right time in the most appropriate way.

#4. Stigma about Getting a Colonoscopy

While the colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening, an exam used to look for changes — such as swollen, irritated tissues, polyps or cancer — in the large intestine (colon) and rectum, there’s a stigma associated with that part of the body, particularly for Black men.

This NIH study found that one particularly important barrier among Black men when it comes to colonoscopy is the view of the invasive procedure as a potential challenge to their masculinity. That, coupled with fear and embarrassment, may have contributed to low engagement in colorectal screening among this population, the study found.

It’s part of the reason efforts are underway to raise awareness of colorectal cancer among Black men, who have the highest incidence rates in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. For example, behavioral scientist Dr. Charles R. Rogers, who studies racial disparities in colorectal cancer, has targeted Black barber shops in his work to eliminate the stigma and increase screenings.

#5. Not Being Informed

While information about colorectal cancer may be available online, few within the Black community may truly know the elevated risks that they face in developing it.

At the very least, it’s important to know what symptoms to look out for that may be associated with colorectal cancer: a change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days; a feeling you need to have a bowel movement that’s not relieved by having one; rectal bleeding; blood in the stool; abdominal cramping; feeling tired or weak; or losing weight without trying. You should contact your doctor if you are concerned about any of the symptoms you are experiencing.

Share this article with your loved ones and remind them of the importance of medical screening, doctor visits, and advocating for diverse patients to be represented in colorectal cancer research.

The post Five Reasons Why Colorectal Cancer is Prevalent in the Black Community appeared first on Black Health Matters.

That’s because an estimated 50-60% of Black people don’t get screened at all, either because they put it off or have competing medical illnesses to address, says Dr. Fola May, associate professor of medicine and health equity expert at UCLA Health.

Based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most doctors recommend everyone to get screened for colorectal cancer at 45, and even earlier if you have family history. Early screening can prevent unnecessary death for some patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The five-year survival rate with stage 1 colorectal cancer is over 90%, while the survival rate for stage 4 colorectal cancer is between 11-14%.

The American Cancer Society says survival rates are based on how far the cancer has spread, age, overall health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, whether the cancer started on the left or right side of the colon, and other factors can also affect your outlook.

For those who are diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer, Dr. May makes several recommendations that could impact a patient’s outcome and quality of life.

• • Look into your available options: Patients, especially those in large urban settings, should research the medical facilities available to them and seek care from the place that is best equipped to handle complicated or late-stage colorectal cancer. That includes places that have a special designation as an accredited cancer center where there’s a multidisciplinary tumor board of experts that discuss late-stage cancer and treatment options. “If it’s advanced colon cancer, you typically need chemotherapy or surgery, and if it’s rectal, you might need radiation as well,” says Dr. May. “With all these complexities, it’s best to receive care in a place where they have a lot of cases and experience.”
  • Ensure you receive treatment in a timely fashion: Black people tend to have a longer period of time than other populations between when they’re diagnosed and when they’re treated—and it’s not clear why, says May. At times, it’s because of the health-care system a patient is in—it may take longer for referrals to get processed as well as for insurance companies to approve them. Your physician might also have to refer you to another health facility or center. But there’s also hesitancy on the patient side about getting treatment. “That leads to worse outcomes, so you have to make sure you or your family member is aggressive about seeing providers and getting that second opinion in a timely fashion,” says Dr. May.
  • Strive for symptom control: Late-stage colorectal cancer comes with a host of digestive symptoms and pain, including constipation and blood in the stool, given how and where the disease And many patients are under the impression that their symptoms are expected—and don’t seek full symptom control, says Dr. May. She advises members of the Black community to advocate for themselves when it comes to pain control and seek therapies to make them comfortable. Far too often, patients don’t want to continue treatment because they’re uncomfortable. “But if you stop treatment, the cancer will keep growing,” warns Dr. May. “You have to get the symptoms under control so you can tolerate the treatment.”
  • Seek genetic counseling: It’s important that people who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer think about the implications of their diagnosis on their family members. So it’s important for patients to talk to their doctors about whether they need to see a genetic counselor to discuss all the cancers that are in the family. Lynch syndrome, for instance, is an inherited disorder that increases the risk of colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and gynecological cancers. “Unfortunately, in some Black communities, if one person gets colorectal cancer, it’s kept secret. In this case, secrets can be deadly for other family members,” says Dr. May. A genetic counselor could look at the family history, put all the pieces together, and realize there might be a gene in the family. “If you know you have that gene, we actually screen your family for cancer earlier, differently, and often, we screen for more cancers,” adds Dr. May.
  • Consider clinical trials: Right now, there’s a shortage of Black individuals participating in clinical trials, and the science can’t tell us if potential treatments work if Black and Brown patients aren’t represented in the research, says Dr. May. She acknowledges some hesitancy might be warranted based on how Blacks have been violated in science, but there’s a lot more regulation these days. “You should consider clinical trials, and also ask your doctor if you’re eligible for clinical trials,” she adds.
  • Look into palliative care: This is a field of medicine for people living with a serious illness. Palliative care refers to getting relief of pain and stress, with a goal of increasing a patient’s quality of life. “People associate it with death and dying, but it doesn’t mean that,” says Dr. May. “Many people graduate from palliative care and don’t die. It’s not hospice.”
  • Emphasize the mental health of the caregiver: Caregivers are exhausted, says May, and while they’re not dealing with the cancer themselves, they’re on a rollercoaster, relaying information and going on appointments. But they need to make sure they’re taking time for themselves, eating right, exercising, taking care of their mental health—and getting away from the illness at times when they can. “The last thing we need is a late-stage cancer patient and a caretaker who isn’t able to cope,” says Dr. May. “We realize too late that the caregiver also needs to be taken care of.”

The post Living With Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer: Advice for Patients and Their Caregivers appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Colorectal cancer starts in the colon or the rectum. These cancers can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where they start. Colon cancer and rectal cancer are often grouped together because they have many features in common.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer in the U.S. for 2022.

The rate of people being diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer each year has dropped overall since the mid-1980s, mainly because more people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors, according to the American Cancer Society. From 2013 to 2017, incidence rates dropped by about 1% each year.

But colorectal cancer disproportionately affects the Black community, where the rates are the highest of any racial/ethnic group in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. African Americans are about 20% more likely to get colorectal cancer and about 40% more likely to die from it than most other groups.

The reasons for the differences are complex, but they largely reflect differences in risk factors and in health care access, both of which are related to socioeconomic status. Blacks in the U.S. often experience greater obstacles to cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and survival, including systemic racial disparities that are complex and go beyond the obvious connection to cancer.

“Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the country,” said Durado Brooks, M.D., who has spent much of his career working to enhance the role of prevention in primary care and to improve care for medically underserved populations. “This disease is ravaging the Black community, and it is as important as ever that everyone has access to and is receiving the recommended screenings.”

According to NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, most experts recommend Black men and women start routine colorectal cancer screenings at age 45 because they’re more likely to get and die from the disease. Many experts recommend all adults with average risk, regardless of race, start getting screened at age 45. Colon cancer is usually slow growing and, in most cases, highly treatable in its early stages.

But medical professionals say a lot more research is needed to explore the disparities. In people younger than age 50, colorectal cancer incidence has risen by 1.5% annually since 1992 for reasons that are not fully understood, according to the National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute. Among African Americans specifically, young-onset colorectal cancer is nearly twice as common as it is among whites.

A study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology found that young African Americans fared significantly worse in terms of 5-year survival at every stage of disease compared with White and Hispanic patients. That differs from previous studies, which showed the most pronounced racial disparities in survival were among those with advanced-stage disease.

“Could it be due to differences in tumor biology, to differences in standard of medical care treatments that were offered, or to some sort of interactive response between tumor and treatment?” asked Elena Stoffel, M.D., of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. “In the end, we’re left with a lot of questions that only more research can answer.”

There’s also evidence that the right side of the colon ages faster in African American patients while the left side of the colon ages faster in White patients, according to this study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. While this aging is normal, it does impact cancer risk and right-sided aging may present a more serious risk than left-sided.

Patients with right-sided colorectal cancer tend to have bigger, more advanced tumors than patients with left-sided colorectal cancer, found the study. More research is needed to explore these findings further, but the incidence of right-sided colorectal cancer in patients of color may help explain why the rate of cancer diagnosis is so high and often occurs in later stages among this group.

Clinical trials are used for all types and stages of colorectal cancer. Many focus on new investigational treatments to learn if a new potential treatment is safe, effective, and possibly better than the existing standard of care treatments. These types of studies evaluate new study drugs, different combinations of investigational treatments, new different approaches to radiation therapy or surgery, and methods of treatment.

Learn more about colorectal cancer clinical trials here.

This article is sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb. If you’re interested in seeing if you qualify for an active colorectal cancer study, visit bmsstudyconnect.com.

The post The Importance of Clinical Trial Participation for African Americans With Colorectal Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

But we also have a lot of answers when it comes to reducing your cancer risk. We know definitively that smoking causes a host of cancers. Ditto for smokeless tobacco and environmental hazards like asbestos.

This week we got more news, although it may not seem all that new since a lot of it is advice you’ve heard dozens of times from your doctor—and your mom: Eat less and move more. Finish your vegetables. You’ve had enough alcohol, young lady.

It’s sage advice now borne out by a panel of scientists from the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, an internationally recognized group that includes Anne McTiernan, M.D., a longtime Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center epidemiologist who studies the connection between lifestyle and cancer.

So this time you may want to listen, especially if cancer of the large intestine, i.e., the colon, or its lower counterpart, the rectum, is a concern. These cancers, often lumped together under the term colorectal, are the third most common cancers worldwide and the fourth most common cancer killer. Colorectal cancers kill 700,000 people a year globally and here in the U.S., colorectal cancer rates—and deaths from those cancers—are rising in adults under 50.

“It’s very concerning and needs to be studied,” said Dr. McTiernan of the disturbing trend. “Risk factors like obesity and lack of physical activity have caused an increase in diabetes in younger people. Maybe it’s similar in colorectal cancer.”

In their report, Dr. McTiernan and her colleagues didn’t address this bump in colorectal cancer rates but they did provide a clear a picture of how the foods we eat and the behaviors we indulge in can either increase or decrease our risk. The team analyzed nearly 100 large cohort studies from around the world involving more than 29 million adults—including nearly 250,000 folks who eventually developed colorectal cancer. Some of those people got cancer as a result of an inherited genetic mutation (think Lynch syndrome); others got it due to disease, like Crohn’s.

But many more developed colorectal cancer because of acquired genetic mutations. It’s these mutations, some of which are brought on by lifestyle choices, that we can actually do something about.

“The findings … are robust and clear,” said lead author Edward L. Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Diet and lifestyle have a major role in colorectal cancer.”

Interested in the major role you and your diet can play in fending off colorectal (and maybe even other cancers)? We went through the report with Dr. McTiernan, who’s written a memoir about her own tumultuous relationship with food, and highlighted five cancer-busting behaviors you can start working on today (check out the full report for additional tips).

1. Move your body. People who are physically active have a lower risk of colon cancer than those who are not. It doesn’t matter if you move furniture for a living; walk to work and back each day; or hike, bike, swing dance or work out at a gym—it’s all good. Physical activity helps you cut your risk for colon cancer by as much as 20 percent (the numbers weren’t as significant for rectal cancer).

What difference does exercise make? Obesity is a risk factor for many diseases, including cancer. Exercise helps you lose weight, which in turn reduces insulin resistance and inflammation, both of which are linked to the development of tumors in the colon. Exercise may help also specifically cut the risk for colon cancer by stimulating digestion and reducing what’s known as “colon transit time.” And that’s a good thing.

Dr. McTiernan said the U.S. Surgeon General’s recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity five days a week is a good starting point. “But you’ll get more benefit if you do an hour a day,” she said. “You don’t have to run an hour a day. Just fold activity into the day wherever you can: take the stairs instead of elevators; go for a walk at lunch; do walking meetings with colleagues at work.”

2. Gobble those grains. People who eat whole grains every day have a lower risk of colorectal cancer than people who don’t. In fact, eating about three servings of whole grains (90 grams) per day reduces your risk of colorectal cancer by 17 percent, according to the report. And the more whole grains you eat, the more you cut your risk.

Why? Whole grains contain dietary fiber, which reduces colorectal cancer risk in a number of ways, including, yes, reducing colon “transit time.” They also contain a slew of nutrients and compounds with anti-carcinogenic properties, many of which are found in the bran and germ of the grain, i.e., the part that’s processed out.

Oatmeal, popcorn, corn, wild rice, buckwheat and quinoa are all whole grains. Ditto for barley, bulgur, kasha, millet, sorghum and farro. Want some easy swaps to get started? Go with brown rice instead of white and use whole wheat flour instead of refined white flour. And read those labels!

“Look for whole grains as the first ingredient on a package,” Dr. McTiernan said. “In general, real food that you make yourself is better than buying everything processed. But that doesn’t mean everybody has to make their own bread.”

3. Back away from the bacon (and other red/processed meat). Yes, we know. You love bacon. But it doesn’t love you back. In fact, the report found “consistent evidence” that for every 50 grams of processed, preserved or cured meat eaten per day—that’s about two slices of bacon, by the way—you’re bumping up your risk for colorectal cancer by 16 percent.

Eating red meat—i.e., beef, pork, lamb and goat—also ups your risk, particularly if you eat more than 500 grams in a week (that’s just over a pound). Why? Part of the issue is the chemicals that are created when you cook meat at high temperatures. Another part is that red meats contain high levels of “heme iron” (the type of iron found in blood and muscle), which promotes the growth of cancerous tumors.

Dr. McTiernan acknowledged science doesn’t have all the answers when it comes to figuring out the mechanisms that directly link colorectal cancer with red and processed meat. But “very high heat seems to release carcinogens,” she said. “It’s better to have a diet of more plants and lower fats and meats. And really limit your intake of highly processed meat, most of which are made of red meat.”

4. Load up on plants (and fiber). Many of us have been raised to think every meal should consist of a slab of meat, some kind of bread or starch and maybe a veggie. But Dr. McTiernan advised we move away from these Mad Men-style meals of steak, baked potato and miniscule salad and, instead, cancer-proof our plates.

“Meat should take up less than one-quarter of the plate,” she said. “Vegetables should be half the plate and then some kind of whole grain on the other one quarter.” Plants, not meat, should dominate our meals, said Dr. McTiernan. This serves us in a few different ways. If we eat mainly vegetables, we’re taking in fewer calories so we’re better able to control our weight. And plants—and their dietary fiber—fend off cancer by providing us with a slew of anti-cancer agents, by reducing intestinal transit time and by increasing fecal bulk.

Non-starchy vegetables are the best sources of fiber (think broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, cabbage and artichokes). Peas, lentils, beans and nuts also pack quite the fiber punch as do fruits like berries, apples and pears, especially if you eat the skin. Fruits are also a rich source of vitamin C, another nutrient that may protect against developing colorectal cancer.

“Overall, a lot of fiber is helpful,” Dr. McTiernan said. “We don’t know if it’s because it gets the food out of the body faster or if it’s something about the fiber itself—maybe it helps with absorption of vitamins. It’s just better to have a diet of more plants. You don’t have to be a vegetarian; just have an overall pattern of plant-based meals.”

5. Limit your booze. Yes, we love a glass of wine after a long day. But when it comes to alcohol and cancer, less is definitely more. The new research points to a number of probable associations involving everything from toxic metabolites to oxidative stress to cellular penetration of carcinogens. But after sifting and sorting hundreds of studies, the bottom line is as clear as a shot of potato vodka: Consumption of alcohol is a “convincing cause” of colorectal cancer, especially if you drink more than 30 grams—or two drinks—a day.

Dr. McTiernan, who recently co-authored a paper on alcohol’s impact on breast cancer risk (yes, it’s a problem there, too), was sympathetic but straightforward about this finding.
“Really limit your use of alcohol,” she said.

From Fred Hutch News

The post 5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Colorectal Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Black Health Matters: Who is Nefa-Tari Moore?

NM: Nefa-Tari is a strong, Black female who is strong in her faith. I love the person that I am, and I love the skin that I am in. I’m a professional caregiver and experienced nurse of 14 years. And I am also a three-time cancer survivor, twice endometrial and once ovarian. I’m an advocate for women facing cancer and for civil rights.

BHM: Can you tell me more about your experience as a survivor of endometrial and ovarian cancer?

NM: Yes, I’m a two-time survivor of endometrial cancer. I was first diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2013 at the age of 33, and I had just gotten married five months prior to receiving the diagnosis. So, I wanted to preserve my fertility because the plan was for [us] to have a family. Nine months after completing treatment I had a recurrence of endometrial cancer in 2015 and at the age of 35 I had a hysterectomy.

BHM: What symptoms did you have, and what are examples of some of the symptoms women should look out for?

NM: Well, the first time that I was diagnosed I had heavy bleeding with severe lower back pain. Those would be some of the symptoms to watch out for—any type of abnormal bleeding, back pain, or bleeding in-between periods. If you are someone who is perimenopausal, a younger woman or someone who is a woman who is menopausal [you should] watch out for any [abnormal] vaginal bleeding. But these are not all of the possible symptoms of endometrial cancer, and could also be indicative of other conditions. It is important to discuss any symptoms of concern with your healthcare provider.

BHM: Was there a difference in symptoms from the first time you were diagnosed and the reoccurrence?

NM: The second time I didn’t have any symptoms. After my first diagnosis, as follow up care, I had to go in for a biopsy with my oncologist every three months, and the reoccurrence was found after having a biopsy. It was nine months after completing the initial treatment.

BHM: Annual wellness exams are generally recommended as a best practice for overall wellness. Can you discuss the role regular checkups have played in your EC journey?

NM: I think regular checkups were a big part of my survival story. And also advocating for myself and keeping on top of all of my appointments and finding out as much information as I could about the diagnosis [helped] as well, because it helped me to be more proactive about my care and what was going on with my health.

BHM: When you were first diagnosed, did your healthcare provider mention anything that could have made you more susceptible to getting endometrial and ovarian cancer?

NM: For me, it’s genetic. I have a genetic mutation that is hereditary called Lynch syndrome which is associated with a higher risk of endometrial cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer and a host of other cancers. The first two times that I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, I had never done genetic testing, it was never introduced to me. And at that time, I had a different oncologist than I do now. The oncologist that I had when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she had me do everything with the genetic testing and that was how I found out that I had this genetic mutation. Lynch syndrome is not the only risk factor that may increase the risk of endometrial cancer.

BHM: So, women should definitely ask their healthcare providers about the genetic testing.

NM: Yes, women should talk to their doctors about whether genetic testing would be appropriate for them.

BHM:  How did you get started working with SHARE?

NM: Well, it goes back to 2018 when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Just to go back a little bit, in 2015, when I had the reoccurrence of endometrial cancer, I had to get surgery. I had a hysterectomy, but they only removed my uterus because of [my] age and they didn’t want me to go into an early onset of menopause or heart disease.

I was left with the fallopian tubes and both ovaries and in 2018 I developed ovarian cancer. I started searching for a support group and I did some web research and I found SHARE’s ovarian [cancer] support group and I called the helpline and spoke to the health line coordinator and [then] I started attending the ovarian cancer support group.

From there I got involved in outreach to help get information into Black communities it’s called Afro-SHARE, it’s an outreach program at SHARE and that’s how I got involved. And then, I think the next steps after that was just telling my story and then SHARE decided to come up with endometrial cancer support. And I just wanted to be a part of that particular support of service, so I stayed on that road.

BHM: In addition to joining SHARE and having that support system to lean on, what were some other things that helped you through your EC journey?

NM: Well for me I wanted to survive just to be here longer. As a healthcare professional and caregiver, I want to be able to have an impact on others. And also, my faith kept me very much in line with striving to keep up with my health. [It was also] the encouragement from the women in the ovarian cancer support group and being my own advocate. And they gave me a lot of hope and encouragement.

BHM: What inspires you to help others in addition to your story?

NM: My faith. I’m Islamic. I’m a Muslim and so my faith carries me […] to be an advocate for other women and other people in general. And also, because I know what it’s like to go through such a diagnosis. And I want to be here to get the word out about this type of cancer and to support, empower and encourage other women. [I want] to continue to uplift women who are going through this, and even other people, just to get that information out there to people [who] are facing the diagnosis of endometrial cancer.

BHM: What’s next for you?

NM: What’s next for me is to continue doing the work that I am doing now with advocating for other women. I would like to, for myself and for my community raise awareness of some of the common signs of EC so that women with the condition can be diagnosed earlier. The average age for endometrial cancer is [60]¹. Now, studies are showing more and more younger women being diagnosed. Women in their late 20s and early 30s. So, I would like to dive more into that and the impact that it has on younger women being diagnosed and the effects that it takes on having a family and [the] other physical aspects. So, I would like to go in that direction to support those women.

BHM: As a nurse, caregiver, and now survivor, would you consider it your purpose to help women learn more about EC?

NM: Absolutely. Absolutely, because I’ve spent 14 years as a nurse caring for others. I feel like it’s my calling. When I was diagnosed, I felt like, “Why did this happen to me?” And then, after a while, now, I believe, that this was God’s way of using me as a vessel to be able to get out there and support [others] and shed light on my purpose.

BHM: What advice can you give women in regard to working with their doctors to take care of their health or how to cope with a diagnosis?

NM: For me personally, I stayed close and in alignment with my faith. I stayed on top of all of my doctor appointments, and I learned as much as I could about the diagnosis. I asked my doctor questions about treatment options and what the possible outcomes for me were. Also learn about your heredity. Talk to your family and learn about your family’s history with cancer and any type of hereditary genes or mutations that may associated with cancer. Focus on taking care of yourself more. This could be through meditation, diet or exercise as recommended by your doctor. Because the care is inward and outward. [For me] I keep up with prayer. I try to eat as well as possible, [and] I keep my immune system built-up. So those are some of my favorite things, staying in prayer, meditation, and listening to music. These are some of the things that have helped me a lot.

Nefa-Tari is part of the Spot Her campaign – an initiative to help end the silence around endometrial cancer, a type of uterine cancer, and inspire women to listen, advocate and put their health and the health of other women first. Spot Her is a collaboration between SHARE Cancer Support (SHARE), Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE),Black Health Matters and Eisai Inc. Want more info on endometrial cancer and the types of symptoms to look for? Learn more by exploring SpotHerforEC.com.

The post Cancer Survivor Nefa-Tari Moore Shares Her Story and How She is Using Her Experience to Advocate for Women appeared first on Black Health Matters.

A tenant of the Affordable Care Act is preventive care. That includes health screenings. Getting checked early can help you stop diseases like cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis in the beginning stages, when they’re easier to treat. In fact, screening tests can spot illnesses even before symptoms develop. Some tests (Pap test or breast exam) should be a routine part of every woman’s health care. Other tests might be necessary based on your age, family history, your own health history and other risk factors. So talk to your physician about being screened.
Breast Cancer
The earlier you find breast cancer, the better your chance of a cure. Small breast cancers are less likely to spread to lymph nodes and vital organs like the lungs and brain. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, your health-care provider should perform a breast exam as part of your regular check-up every one to three years. Mammograms are low-dose X-rays that can often find a lump before you ever feel it, though normal results don’t completely rule out cancer. While you’re in your 40s, you should have an annual mammogram. After age 50, switch to every other year. Your doctor may recommend more frequent screenings if you’re at higher risk.
Cervical Cancer
With regular Pap smears, cervical cancer is easy to prevent. Pap smears find abnormal cells on the cervix, which can be removed before they ever turn into cancer. The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV), a type of STD. During a Pap smear, your doctor scrapes some cells off your cervix and sends them to a lab for analysis. You should get your first Pap smear by age 21 (earlier if you’re already sexually active), and every two years after that. If you’re 30 or older, you can get HPV tests, too, and wait a little longer between Pap smears.
Two vaccines, Gardasil and Cervarix, can protect women younger than 26 from several strains of HPV. The vaccines don’t protect against all the cancer-causing strains of HPV (and not all cervical cancers are caused by HPV), so it’s still important to have routine Pap smears.
Osteoporosis
After menopause, women start to lose bone mass. (Note: Men get osteoporosis, too.) The first symptom is often a painful bone break after even a minor fall. In Americans age 50 and older, the disease contributes to about half the fractures in women. Though the common belief—even among some in the medical community—is that osteoporosis is a disease of white and Asian women, African Americans also contract this. A special type of X-ray called dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can measure bone strength and find osteoporosis before breaks happen. It can also help predict the risk of future breaks. This screening is recommended for all women age 65 and older.
Skin Cancer
There are several kinds of skin cancer, and early treatment can be effective for them all. The most dangerous is melanoma. Some people have an inherited risk for this type of cancer, which may increase with overexposure to the sun. Basal cell and squamous cell are common non-melanoma skin cancers. Watch for changes in your skin, especially to moles and freckles. Pay attention to changes in their shape, color and size. And have your skin checked by a dermatologist or other health professional during your regular physicals.
High Blood Pressure
As you get older, your risk of high blood pressure increases, especially if you are overweight. High blood pressure can cause life-threatening heart attacks or strokes without any warning. Blood pressure readings include two numbers. The first (systolic) is the pressure of your blood when your heart beats. The second (diastolic) is the pressure between beats. Normal adult blood pressure is below 120/80. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is 140/90 or above. Ask your doctor how often you should have your blood pressure checked.
Cholesterol
High cholesterol can cause plaque to clog your arteries. Plaque can build up for many years without symptoms, eventually causing a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking can all cause plaque to build up, too. To get your cholesterol checked, you’ll need to fast for 12 hours. Then you’ll take a blood test that measures total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fat). If you’re 20 or older, you should get this test at least every five years.
Type 2 Diabetes
One-third of Americans with diabetes don’t know they have it. Diabetes can cause heart or kidney disease, stroke, blindness from damage to the blood vessels of the retina and other serious problems. You can control diabetes with diet, exercise, weight loss, and medication, especially when you find it early. You’ll probably have to fast for eight hours or so before having your blood tested for diabetes. A blood sugar level of 100 to 125 may show prediabetes; 126 or higher may mean diabetes. Other tests include the A1C test and the oral glucose tolerance test. If you’re healthy and have a normal diabetes risk, you should be screened every three years starting at age 45. Talk to your doctor about getting tested earlier if you have a higher risk, like a family history of the disease.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It’s spread through sharing blood or body fluids with an infected person, such as through unprotected sex or dirty needles. Pregnant women with HIV can pass the infection to their babies unless they take medication to prevent this. There is still no cure or vaccine, but early treatment with anti-HIV medications can help the immune system fight the virus. HIV can be symptom-free for many years. The ELISA or EIA (blood) test looks for antibodies to HIV. If you get a positive result, you’ll need a second test to confirm the results. Still, if you’ve been infected recently, you can test negative even if you’re infected, so you may need to repeat the test. Everyone should get tested at least once between ages 13 and 64, more often if you’re not in a monogamous relationship or have been engaging in risky behaviors.
Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer. Most colon cancers come from polyps that grow on the inner lining of the large intestine. The polyps may or may not be cancerous. If they are, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Removing polyps early, before they become cancerous, can prevent it completely. A colonoscopy is a common screening test for colorectal cancer. While you’re mildly sedated, a doctor inserts a small flexible tube equipped with a camera into your colon. If she finds a polyp, she can often remove it right during the test. Another type of test is a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which looks into the lower part of the colon. If you’re at average risk, screening usually starts at age 50.
Proper screening won’t always prevent a disease, but it can often find a disease early enough to give you the best chance of overcoming it.

The post Get Screened! Tests Every Woman Needs appeared first on Black Health Matters.

According to the CDC, racism can show up in the way an individual patient is treated with stigma or bias by their doctor. Or it can show up in the larger structural barriers that, for instance, can make it more difficult for many communities of color to access affordable high-quality health care on an ongoing basis.

“These social determinants of health have lifelong negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color,” said CDC director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. in a statement. “Over generations, these structural inequities have resulted in stark racial and ethnic health disparities that are severe, far-reaching, and unacceptable.”

The organization also addressed the effects of the long term stress created by racism and how it impacts the health disparities seen in people of color, particularly Black people. Not only do they experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and heart disease, when compared to their White counterparts, but the life expectancy of non-Hispanic/Black Americans is four years lower than that of white Americans.

Additionally, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people have a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, including death, according to CDC data. Black people are also more likely to die in childbirth, to die from melanoma, and to develop and die from colorectal cancer than white people. “The pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism,” said Dr. Walensky.

While this news may overwhelming and not especially surprising (especially if you’re a person of color), there was a silver lining. The CDC also announced several new initiatives that they’re undertaking to address racism’s effects on public health, including more research, expanded infrastructure in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and a new official CDC page dedicated to educating the public about the effects of racism on health.

The post The CDC Officially Declared Racism a ‘Serious Public Health Threat’ appeared first on Black Health Matters.

While Boseman’s death caught us off guard, cancer advocates aren’t surprised by this young-colon cancer news. Colon cancer deaths have been rising among young people since the 1990s. A report from the American Cancer Society earlier this year found half of all new diagnoses are in people age 66 and younger.

Scientists knew cases of colorectal cancer were going up in younger age groups, but “were surprised by how fast it is happening,” said Rebecca Siegel, study co-author and scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

“This report is very important because it not only provides a snapshot of the current colorectal cancer burden, but also a window to the future,” she said, adding that if the increases in younger adults continue, “doctors should be aware of the unique challenges in this patient population, such as the need for the preservation of fertility and sexual function, as well as the risk of long-term treatment effects because of their extended life expectancy.”

Each year, roughly 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer, and more than 50,000 die from it. The numbers for African Americans, however, are more dire. Not only do we have the shortest survival rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States for most cancers, but we also have the highest incidence of colorectal cancer.

“African-Americans are more likely to get colon cancer, they’re more likely to have an advanced stage of disease when they’re diagnosed with colon cancer, they’re more likely to die from colon cancer and they have shorter survival after diagnosis with colon cancer,” said Fola May, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at UCLA and a researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

In fact, nearly 20,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were expected in this country among African Americans in 2019, with incidence rates 24 percent higher in black men and 19 percent higher in black women compared to other races, the ACS reported. Black colorectal cancer patients are also 15 to 20 percent more likely to die from the disease than patients of any other race.

Occurring in the colon, rectum or both, colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer in all adults in the U.S.—after lung and prostate in men and lung and breast in women. The black community’s heightened risk appears to be due to several contributing factors. “Some biological factors may be at play,” said Inova Schar Cancer Institute oncologist Timothy Cannon, M.D.

African Americans with colorectal cancer are more likely to cope with an aggressive subtype fueled by a mutation in the KRAS gene, which drives cancer growth, he said. This cancer in black people also occurs more often on the right side of the colon, another factor that can lead to poor prognoses.

“But there are also socioeconomic factors that can make it more difficult for people to gain access to screening,” Cannon said. Socioeconomic factors may place some African Americans at a disadvantage by making it harder to seek timely screening or access high-fiber, minimally processed foods, which can lead to lower rates of colorectal cancer.

“Their cancers tend to be harder to treat and grow more quickly, so the prognosis isn’t as good,” he said.

In 2018, the American Cancer Society updated its colorectal cancer screening guidelines, changing the recommended age of initial screening from 50 to 45, due to higher rates of the disease in younger people.

“But even before that, many expert bodies recommended African Americans get screenings at 45,” Cannon said. “Unfortunately, fewer than half of African Americans are screened by 45.”

If there’s a family history of the disease, people should be screened at age 40, said UCLA’s May. If someone has symptoms at any age, she recommends getting a colonoscopy immediately.

Symptoms of this cancer may include changes in bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation, rectal bleeding with bright red blood, blood in the stool making it look dark, cramps or abdominal pain, and feeling like the bowel isn’t emptying completely after a bowel movement.

The gold standard for colon cancer screening is a colonoscopy because cancer-causing polyps can be removed during the exam. But other screening options exists, and any test is better than not being screened.

Other screening tests include:

• Fecal occult blood test, which can detect blood in a stool sample
• Cologuard, a stool DNA test you can take at home
• Virtual colonoscopy, which requires the same preparation as a colonoscopy, but no sedation, for those who are medically unable to undergo colonoscopy

The post Chadwick Boseman’s Death Sparks Needed Young Colon Cancer Discussion appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Buttered Leeks and Radishes

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

    1/4 pound radishes, quartered

    3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced crosswise

    1/2 cup chicken broth

    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    1 teaspoon lemon juice

    2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

 Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Add radishes and cook another minute. Remove scallions and radishes from the pan and set aside. Add leeks, chicken broth, salt and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, scallions and radishes and toss well. Serves 4

Nutritional Analysis: 107 calories, 7 g fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 220 mg sodium, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 mg protein, 60 mg calcium, 2 mg iron

The post The Rewards of Radishes appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Don’t know what’s involved in a colonoscopy? It involves a doctor inserting a small camera inside your rectum to check for signs of colon cancer.

As horrible as that sounds, here’s the thing: The procedure isn’t a big deal. In fact, you’re under conscious sedation during the colonoscopy and can’t feel anything. You are, however, wide awake and getting well acquainted with your bathroom for the preparation.

Follow these five tips and your prep can be almost as painless as the procedure:

1. Fast the right way. For your colonoscopy results to be accurate, your insides to be clean. That usually means you can’t have solid foods the day before the procedure. But if you start the cleansing process earlier, the 24-hour fast can be easier. Eat lighter meals for three or four days before your colonoscopy.
2. Prepare for the prep. For the preparation process, your doctor will give you strong laxatives. This usually involves myriad drinkable prep solutions. Be forewarned: They all taste pretty awful. You can try to mask the taste by mixing it with your favorite flavor of a beverage (think: Gatorade). But this might ruin your favorite flavor flavor for you because you will forever associate it with the bad taste of the prep solution. Whether you choose to take it straight or mask the flavor with your favorite beverage, gulp it fast, while it’s cold and chase it with water.
3. Stay in. Don’t make plans to go to the movies or out dancing the night before a colonoscopy. You’re going to spend a lot of quality time in the bathroom. Binge-watch Netflix or catch up on the stack of books on your nightstand.
4. Get the correct supplies. Before you drink the prep solution, pick up diaper cream and baby wipes.
5. Pat yourself on the back. Medical professionals say far too many people avoid getting a colonoscopy. Though the prep is unpleasant, you’ve decided to be proactive about your health. The procedure is an essential part of regular medical care after the age of 50, and it can save lives by catching colon cancer in its earliest, treatable stages.

The post 5 Tips to Survive Your Colonoscopy Prep appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Panelists at a workshop, “Addressing Advocacy at the Bench: Implementing Change,” held last fall at The 12^th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved described complex and sometimes contentious negotiations between the scientists conducting clinical trials and patients from racial and ethnic minority groups.

Research has long shown that populations at risk for cancer health disparities are less likely than other groups to participate in research studies. In the past few years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has provided guidance on how to recruit participants from underserved groups, and the agency began publishing Drug Trials Snapshots, clearly written, graphically presented information on the demographic makeup of clinical trials.

Most researchers know they should recruit patients from minority groups. But when approaching patients, they sometimes fail to establish trust, or to adequately convey that patients are likely to benefit from their participation, panelists said.

“Many of us come from populations that have experienced research in a negative form,” explained Phyllis Pettit Nassi, associate director of Research & Science, Special Populations, at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. “There has been unethical use of data that come from our people. Our populations are fearful, and we have to correct misinformation.”

Nassi, who was one of several cochairs of the disparities conference, works with 40 Native American tribes in five states, and she said she has seen many efforts to recruit them to a research study fail due to misunderstandings. For example, a researcher may visit a tribal land, and may establish some friendly relationships, but if the Native Americans have never left the reservation or visited the researcher’s clinic, he may not truly understand the value of the researcher’s work.

Jamie Brewer, M.D., of the FDA Office of Oncology and Hematology, pointed out that clinical trials that enroll mostly white patients ultimately only determine a drug’s safety and efficacy in white patients.

“Drug development has been very robust lately, but we are missing out on the aspect of whether a drug will be more beneficial or less beneficial to various racial and ethnic groups,” she explained.

The panelists said that researchers and patients alike would benefit from efforts to continuously connect with minority populations, so that trust and familiarity might grow organically. Lola Fashoyin-Aje, M.D., a medical officer with the FDA, said the agency has taken steps in this direction, seeking out patients to advise them on many issues surrounding clinical trial participation, including financial toxicity and ethical concerns.

“We have to get out of this mentality that we just have to get the data,” said Nynikka Palmer, assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco. “We have to go to the communities, ask them what they need, and meet them along the way. We should start by building relationships and building trust.

Brewer agreed. “The relationship needs to be there, and we should work to develop it early on in a patient’s care,” she said. “We try to build the relationship when we need patients for studies, but we should get to know them earlier, without demanding anything from them.”

How can the patients help?

At Candace Henley’s lowest point during her treatment for young-onset colorectal cancer, she promised herself that if she lived, she would devote herself to advocacy.

Today, she is a proud and passionate advocate, having founded The Blue Hat Foundation to raise awareness of colorectal cancer in minority and medically underserved communities. She also works to spread awareness of the crushing burden of medical costs for cancer patients. In the wake of her treatment, she lost her home and her job. She applied for federal Social Security Disability Insurance, but her application was denied.

“At that time, there were no patient navigators; there was no one to tell me that I could have appealed it,” she said. “I didn’t know I could fight.”

She said patients can improve their chances of being heard and respected if they learn all they can about their cancer.

“Patients need to understand their disease,” she said. “It’s great to have passion, but make sure that with your passion, you are educated, so that when you are having a conversation with a medical professional, they will trust you just as you are being asked to trust them.”

From the American Association for Cancer Research

The post How Can We Recruit Minorities Into Cancer Clinical Trials? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

It’s a common belief that if cancer doesn’t run in your family, it’s unlikely you’ll receive a cancer diagnosis. But this is a myth.

According to the National Cancer Institute, only 5 percent to 10 percent of cancers are hereditary. That means about 90 percent of cancers are caused by other factors.

A significant proportion of that 90 percent comes from habits you do or don’t do. In fact, the American Cancer Society says we cause more than 40 percent of these cases of cancer.

Several factors that increase the risk of cancer are out of our control:

• Age. The incidence of cancer rises as you age. About 52 percent of the cases are diagnosed in people between the ages of 55 and 74. Cancer in folks younger than age of 34 is relatively uncommon by comparison.
• Environment. You have to breathe, and you have no say over burning fossil fuels or other air pollutants.
• Race and gender. You can’t influence your race or your gender. For instance, African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with—and to die from—pancreatic cancer than folks of other races. Black men, for reasons still not fully understood, suffer the highest incidence of prostate cancer. Black women are more likely to contract aggressive and deadly forms of breast cancer.

Some factors, however, you can control, some behaviors you can change–meaning some tweaks can help prevent cancer. The problem is that too many of us see genetically modified foods, hormones in beef, stress and other myths and falsehoods as the major culprits behind cancer. But every two years the American Institute for Cancer Research publishes its Cancer Risk Awareness Survey, and the results show while 93 percent of respondents know tobacco increases cancer risk, less than 40 percent attributed cancer to alcohol, processed and red meats, diet, and inactivity.

Smoking. The largest controllable factor contributing to cancer is tobacco. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths, accounting for about 1,300 deaths every day in this country. Smokers don’t suffer alone; more than 41,000 deaths each year are the result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Most of us know smoking is related to cancers of the lung, mouth and throat, but tobacco is an equal opportunity offender, affecting nearly every organ in the body. “This is one of the most potent ways of delivering a toxic substance,” said Christopher Lathan, who specializes in lung cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

This is no surprise, since tobacco smoke contains 250 harmful chemicals, at least 69 of which can cause cancer, according to the NCI. Switching to cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco isn’t any safer. All tobacco use is linked to some form of cancer.

So why do people still smoke? It’s addictive, and nicotine is one of the hardest drugs to give up. Still, quitting is the best option. “The single best thing you can do is stop smoking,” Lathan said. “Over time the risk decreases.”

It may take more than 10 attempts to quit, so don’t be shy about seeking help. For assistance and advice on quitting smoking:

• Smokers’ Helpline: 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669)
• National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline: 877-448-7848
• American Cancer Society’s Quit for Life: 800-227-2345
• Smokefree

Obesity. The second most significant risk factor of cancer is obesity, according to the AICR. It accounts for nearly 7 percent of all cancer deaths. That is especially concerning since the prevalence of obesity in this country keeps growing, standing around 40 percent right now, and it is more common in black folks.

Fat might be thought of as just unwanted extra pounds, but actually it is linked to 13 different cancers. Why? Fat produces estrogen, which in excess can increase the risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers, especially in post-menopausal women.

Alcohol. What’s the harm in having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer while watching the game? That depends on how many you have. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says limit alcoholic drinks to one drink a day for women and two for men. How much is a drink? It’s probably much less than you think: 12 ounces of beer; 5 ounces of wine; and 1.5 ounces, or a shot, of 80-proof liquor, such as scotch.

But a glass of wine holds 22 ounces, and a stein of beer 44 ounces. So your nightly glass of wine or beer with the fellas is actually four servings. It’s the amount of alcohol, not the type of alcoholic drink, that increases risk. Excessive alcohol, especially in tandem with smoking, is linked mostly to cancers of the head, neck and esophagus, but also can lead to cancers of the breast, colon and liver.

Diet and inactivity. About 5 percent of preventable causes of cancer are attributed to a sedentary lifestyle, especially for women, and poor diet. You don’t need to train for a marathon to reap cancer prevention benefits. Thirty minutes a day of moderate-intensity physical activity—think: walking—is enough. Marry that movement with a healthy diet of fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and you’ll make significant headway toward preventing cancer. Nutritionists suggest limiting red meat to 12 ounces a week, while avoiding processed meats, such as bacon and ham, almost entirely. Both are linked to colon cancer.

Infectious disease. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, is the most common sexually transmitted virus. A CDC report found that almost half of all sexually active men and women in this country will contract the sexually transmitted infection at some point in their lives. Our immune systems kill most cases of it, but when HPV persists, it can result in cancer of the cervix, vagina, penis, throat and anus. Fortunately, the FDA-approved HPV vaccination can prevent most infections. Gardasil 9 has been approved for females and males between the ages of nine and 45.

Skin cancer. We tend to think skin cancer isn’t an issue for us, but research shows survival rates of melanoma, the more deadly form of skin cancer, are lower in black folks. That means everybody, including us, should use sunscreen, avoid the sun when it’s at its strongest, and wear protective clothing and sunglasses when outdoors. Year-’round, folks. And check unusual moles or changes in your skin annually.

Screenings. Detecting cancers in the early stage when treatment is more successful can be a simple as getting screened. Even better: Tests for cervical and colon cancer often find pre-cancerous changes in cells before they have the chance to transition into cancer, making this an easy method to prevent cancer.

All of these steps taken together can do a lot to help keep you cancer free. Even if you can change only one of these behaviors, you are on the right path. “Prevention decreases risk,” Lathan said.

The post Prevent Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

​We believe when people are empowered patients who act as experts in their own health care, they better meet their wellness goals. Studies show being proactive about one’s own health not only results in better health care; it also strengthens the body’s natural self-repair mechanisms and helps fend off illness. ​

Through health education and engagement programs, Black Health Matters, the leading syndicator of original content on African American health, is committed to teaching African Americans how to take control of their health into their own hands. ​

We’re launching ProActive Health for African Americans with the 4th Black Health Matters Summit because we are uniquely qualified to do so. 

The 4th Black Health Matters Summit will showcase world-class health leaders who engage with the community in intimate roundtables and workshops on the latest trends and innovation in African American health. Topics include breast cancer, clinical trials, colon cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hereditary hATTR amyloidosis, HIV, lung cancer, mental health, prostate cancer, sickle cell disease and more. Registrants can also take advantage of free health screenings.

The post ProActive Health: 4th Black Health Matters Summit appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The gap in cancer deaths in the United States has narrowed for most cancers, but disparities remain for two common cancers, according to a recent report from the American Cancer Society.

For deaths from breast cancer in women, the gulf between blacks and whites has widened. For deaths from colon cancer in men, the racial divide has remained steady at 50 percent higher for blacks than whites. This imbalance, researchers said, is likely driven by inequalities in access to care, screening and treatment.

“There is good news. Cancer death rates among black women are decreasing for all of the top cancers, but compared to whites not as much progress has been made—particularly for breast cancer,” said lead researcher Carol DeSantis, an epidemiologist with ACS.

Fewer overall cancer deaths since the early 1990s have saved more than 300,000 black lives over the past two decades, the report noted, suggesting that deaths are declining because improved screening detects many cancers earlier, and improvements in care have made treatments more effective.

“The disparities remain because not everyone is getting access to the best cancer therapies,” DeSantis said. She also blamed the disparity in care on economics not race. “It’s just that there are more poor blacks,” she said.

The report, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, highlighted other findings:

• Cancer death rates have dropped faster among blacks than whites for all cancers combined, and for lung, prostate and colon cancer in women.
• In 1990, the cancer death rate for men was 47 percent higher in blacks than in whites; in 2012 it dropped to 24 percent higher. Among women, the disparity decreased from 19 percent higher in 1991 to 14 percent in 2012.
• Since 1990, deaths from breast cancer dropped 23 percent among black women and 37 percent among white women, increasing the racial disparity. From 2008 to 2012, breast cancer deaths were 42 percent higher in black women than in white women, despite lower breast cancer rates overall. Researchers said the higher death rates among black women are likely due to a number of factors, including differences in cancer progression at diagnosis, obesity, other chronic illnesses, tumor type and access to care.
• From 2003 to 2012, colon cancer deaths dropped faster among black women than white women. But the drop was slower among black men than white men.
• For most cancers, fewer blacks than whites survive five years. Researchers suggested much of this difference is due to limited access to “timely, appropriate and high-quality care.” These barriers result in later diagnosis, when treatment choices are limited and often less effective.
• Obesity increases cancer risk, and black women have the highest obesity rates of any group. In 2013-2014, nearly six in 10 black women were obese, compared with about four in 10 white women. Obesity rates are similar in black and white men.

“There is some promising news that there is a narrowing of the gap in cancer disparities,” said Christopher Flowers, M.D., chair of the Health Disparities Committee for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “But [this study] also raises the concern that there still is a gap between black and white patients in terms of cancer deaths.”

ASCO is trying to develop new ways to educate doctors and improve the quality of care in hospitals that “serve traditionally underserved populations,” Dr. Flowers said, adding that Medicaid reform might help to address the racial disparities in cancer care.

DeSantis said changes in insurance access, through the Affordable Care Act, will likely help narrow the gap between blacks and whites, because more people will have health insurance. “That’s a huge step,” she said.

The post Racial Gap in Cancer Deaths Continues to Narrow appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The post Reducing Cancer Burden in New York City appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Brown then delved into how scientific research aimed at developing better treatments for specific diseases is being done all over the country every day, but she pulled no punches about the lack of inclusion of African Americans in this research.

“They say it’s all in the genes,” Brown said. “That’s very true. What’s in the genes is something about the type of cancer that African American men and women get is different than the type they have in Sweden. Prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer, multiple myeloma—these are the cancers with huge disparities. We need men and women of African descent to participate in trials.”

Brown also outlined how ageism can play a part in keeping us out of medical research.

“Government agencies say women after age 65 with adequate screenings for the previous five years, no longer need Pap smears,” Brown said. “This isn’t true. The death rates start increasing exponentially after age 65. Many of us are sexually active after age 65. If you have a cervix after age 65, you still need to get screened.”

But the biggest indicator of cancer diagnosis and survival? Poverty. It’s even bigger than race, Brown said. “If you have Medicaid, you do worse with breast cancer no matter what color you are, even worse than people with no insurance.

“Medicare Advantage plans do not let you go to NYU or Sloan Kettering. They want you to go where the care is cheapest. You don’t want cheap cancer care. You want the best cancer care.”

Where is that care? According to Brown, most cancer centers have programs dedicated to eliminating disparities. It is at these centers where cutting-edge scientific study is done. And it’s critical for black folks to be part of that research.

“You’re going to get the best, latest advances and better care,” she said. “You can help get rid of some of these disparities, particularly if you’re a person of color. Clinical research plus underserved populations equals cancer health equity.”

So why are so few of us taking part in clinical trials? The easy answer is our fear of research borne out of medical experimentation—think: Tuskegee Experiment and Henrietta Lacks. But the truth is that most people aren’t old enough to remember this mistreatment.

Brown suggested the culprit is deeper than that.

Some of our reluctance centers around cost. We worry we won’t be able to afford the treatment. “Medicare does cover all of the costs associated with participating in a clinical trials,” she said, giving credit for this to legislation passed during Bill Clinton’s administration. “Medicaid does not. But there’s a bill in Congress right now to make this mandatory for Medicaid. There is no study in New York City where someone should not be given access to a clinical trial because of costs.”

Another roadblock to minority involvement in clinical trials comes from the medical profession itself.

“A lot of oncologists assume poor patients, homeless patients, old patients, or patients of color won’t be able to deal with this clinical trial, so they think, ‘I’m not going to tell them about it,’” Brown said. “We have to get past that.

Sloan Kettering works hard to avoid those assumptions. It’s not the only center actively seeking people of color for research, but it’s the place Brown knows best. “We are very aggressive about informing patients about research and clinical trials,” she said.

Today’s cancer treatment is all about precision medicine. This is where a test tells each patient what their particular cancer looks like from a DNA standpoint.

“We learn a way to manipulate this cancer by taking your cancer and your blood and mapping the genome. We can target the mutations in the cancer genome,” Brown said. “New drugs are being developed every day. How? By clinical trials. Participating in a clinical trial is the best way for people of color affected by cancer to level the playing field.”

Read about the 3rd Black Health Matters Summit Recap here: https://blackhealthmatters.com/summitsouth/recap2019/

The post Clinical Trials Key to Eliminating Cancer Disparities appeared first on Black Health Matters.

But millions of Americans—about one-third of those in the recommended age range for colon cancer screening—haven’t been tested. Some avoid it because they are squeamish about the procedure, or worried about the rare, but potentially serious, complications that can occur as a result of it.

Now, an influential panel has added some new choices, aiming to get more Americans screened for colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.

Here are five things you need to know:

1. Getting tested—in any of a variety of ways—is a good thing. Following its review of all the available medical evidence, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force—an independent blue-ribbon panel of medical experts—updated its colorectal cancer screening guidelines last week. The panel gave an “A” rating to screening all adults between ages 50 to 75 years at average risk of the disease, saying the benefits are “substantial.” People with a family history or other risk factors might want to start earlier—and those older than 75 should talk with their doctors about whether to continue screening.

Noting that not enough Americans are getting screened, the panel essentially said the best test is the one that patients will take: “The goal is to maximize the total number of persons who are screened because that will have the largest effect on reducing colorectal cancer deaths.”

2. Two less-invasive tests may qualify for free preventive screening. The biggest change from prior guidelines is the panel’s inclusion of two more ways to screen for the disease, including “virtual colonoscopies,” like President Barack Obama underwent in 2010. Also called computed tomography (CT) colonography, the test uses special X-ray machines to examine the colon. The panel also added a $650 home test called Cologuard, which checks stool for elevated levels of altered DNA that could indicate cancer. Those tests join several others that were part of the panel’s previous recommendations: the full colon exam called colonoscopy; sigmoidoscopy, which uses a lighted tube and camera to examine just the lower portion of the colon; and two other types of home stool tests, fecal occult-blood tests (gFOBT) and fecal immunochemical tests (FIT). Because of the task force’s “A” rating for colon cancer preventive screening these tests generally must be offered to insured patients without a copayment or deductible under the rules put in place by the Affordable Care Act.

3. Don’t expect all insurers to drop co-pays on the new tests right away. While Medicare already covers Cologuard as a preventive screening tool, many private insurers do not. Of people with private insurance who are in the target age range, about one in four currently have coverage for the test, said Kevin Conroy, president and CEO of Exact Sciences, which makes the test. “That’s going to change,” he said, “because health plans have told us that they will follow the task force’s guidelines.”

When it comes to virtual colonoscopies, some insurers—including Cigna—cover them, but Medicare does not. In 2009, Medicare said there was insufficient medical evidence to determine if such tests should be covered nationally.

Now Medicare will likely be asked by proponents of virtual colonoscopy to revisit that decision.

Under the ACA, insurers have up to a year to incorporate “A”-or “B”-rated screening tests into their benefit packages without a copayment. But there is some ambiguity in this case because the screening itself—not the individual tests—was given the A rating. While many experts believe insurers must offer all the types of tests, that isn’t entirely clear. Insurers and patient advocate groups both say they will seek additional clarity from the Obama administration.

4. The task force didn’t pick favorites. The panel did not rank the tests, noting a lack of head-to-head comparisons showing any one method has the most net benefit. All tests have pros and cons. For example, getting a colonoscopy every 10 years has the advantage that, if potentially cancerous polyps are detected, they can be removed during the procedure. But it also carries a small risk of harmful complications, such as anesthesia-related cardiac problems, bowel perforations or abdominal pain. Sigmoidoscopy at five-year intervals has a lower rate of complications, but can miss some cancers because it doesn’t reach the entire colon. Annual stool tests, which don’t themselves carry any risk, reduce colorectal cancer deaths, the panel noted. The newer FIT immunochemical stool tests are a bit better at spotting cancers than FOBT, which studies show can correctly identify cancers 62 percent to 79 percent of the time. Cologuard—recommended every one to three years—detects existing cancers 92 percent of the time, but has a higher false-positive rate than FIT. Virtual colonoscopies, which expose patients to X-ray radiation, spot existing cancers of 10 millimeters or larger 67 percent to 94 percent of the time. The exam can also lead to additional, sometimes unnecessary testing because it flags potential problems outside the colon 40 percent to 70 percent of the time, with only about 3 percent of those concerns ultimately needing some form of treatment, the panel noted. The guidelines also mentioned a blood test, SEPT9, but noted that it detected only 48 percent of existing cancers.

5. You might still get hit with a copayment. Although preventive screening is covered without copayments or deductibles, some patients still end up with a bill. Medicare, most notably, requires a 20 percent copayment if a polyp is found during a screening colonoscopy and removed. That payment averages $272, although advocates say they have seen far higher bills. Most private insurers do not charge patients if a polyp is found during a preventive screening, following Obama administration clarifications on the topic.

Two bills H.R.1220 and S.624 in Congress aim to apply those same rules to Medicare.

Another way consumers can get hit with a copayment is if a stool test, sigmoidoscopy or other exam indicates cancer might exist. A colonoscopy is then performed and some insurers consider that test a “diagnostic” exam, rather than a preventive screening. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network says it has asked the administration to clarify what happens in such a case. “If a patient has a positive test, the next step is colonoscopy, and therefore should be covered without cost-sharing,” said Caroline Powers, director of federal relations with ACSCAN. “We’re trying to get more people screened.”

The post Colon Cancer Screening: 5 Things to Know appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends people between the ages of 50 and 59 take low-dose aspirin to prevent colon cancer and heart disease.

The task force suggests the daily pill for adults who have a 10 percent or greater risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years, are not at an increased risk for bleeding and have a life expectancy of at least 10 years. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg) has proved beneficial for people who already have coronary heart disease, including those who have had bypass surgery, a stent or a heart attack. Those at extremely high risk for heart disease also may benefit. And the recommendations come on the heels of a study from Denmark of 113,000 people that found taking one or two baby aspirins a day for at least five years was linked to a 27 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer.

“In this recommendation, we try to provide additional guidance about who is most likely to achieve benefits from aspirin,” said Doug Owens, M.D., a member of the task force and a professor of medicine at Stanford University.

USPSTF isn’t recommending that aspirin be used only for colon cancer prevention. ”We’re not recommending you take aspirin for colorectal cancer if you’re not at high risk for cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Owens said.

Despite these new recommendations, however, experts urge caution.

“It’s important to understand that there are risks for aspirin,” cardiologist Steven Nissen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic told Boston’s WCVB. In fact, internal bleeding is common with daily aspirin use.

Because aspirin reduces the clotting ability of blood platelets (and depending on a person’s medical history), regular use of aspirin to prevent disease may increase the risk for life-threatening bleeding in the stomach or brain.

Experts say don’t take aspirin if you’re doing so without a doctor’s guidance and have no history of heart disease or heart attack. Even if you have an existing heart condition, you should still talk to your doctor before adding aspirin to your regimen. He or she will be able to assess your risks and benefits. Also keep in mind that the recommendation comes within the context of a healthy lifestyle; aspirin won’t work if you smoke, eat unhealthy food or avoid exercise.

The post Aspirin for Colon Cancer and Heart Disease? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

African-American patients are less likely than whites to survive colon cancer.

Now, researchers have found that the disparity has less to do with race than with the quality of care.

“Our study findings turn the way we think about health disparities on its head,” says lead author Kim Rhoads, M.D., assistant professor of colon and rectal surgery at Stanford and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Harold Amos Scholar.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, shows that when patients from under-represented groups receive colon cancer treatment within an integrated health system—one where the patient’s insurance, outpatient health services and hospital-based care are all accessed through a single organization—they are more likely to survive.

“This proves that rather than simply asking ourselves what’s wrong with the patient—Are they poor? Uninsured?—we need to ask ourselves whether we are providing the right quality of care,” Dr. Rhoads says.

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, but blacks die at significantly higher rates than whites. After evaluating more than 30,000 patients diagnosed and treated for colon cancer, Dr. Rhoads and her co-authors discovered that all patients, including those from under-represented populations, had a better chance of survival when they were treated in integrated settings. In other words, quality of care was a bigger factor than race.

“We were surprised to discover that racial disparities in colon cancer survival were eliminated when patients were treated in integrated settings, but we were most excited to find that delivering evidence-based care could eliminate racial differences in all settings,” Dr. Rhoads says.

“This means that fixing colon cancer disparities is in our hands. We can improve outcomes for everyone and erase racial differences in colon cancer survival if we increase access to coordinated care and improve adherence to treatment guidelines.”

The Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, works to increase the number of faculty from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who can achieve senior rank in academic medicine or dentistry, and who will encourage and foster the development of succeeding classes of such physicians and dentists. Go here for more information.

The post Kim Rhoads, M.D.: Blacks More Likely to Die From Colon Cancer Than Whites appeared first on Black Health Matters.

There is a noninvasive, at-home test folks can take to screen for colon cancer, but only about a third of those prescribed the kit actually use it. A new study has found a way to boost those rates: a lottery.

The study focused on the fecal occult blood test, which can detect small amounts of blood in stool that may signal colon cancer and requires patients to collect a small sample of their stool and mail it to a lab. For this study, researchers looked at more than 1,500 patients at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

“Fecal occult blood tests are inexpensive and an effective way to find colon cancer early and save lives,” said Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., a research scientist in the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan, and an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. “It’s up to the patient to do this test at home and unfortunately, completion rates are low.”

Completion rates jumped by 20 percent, however, when patients in the study were offered a one-in-10 chance of winning $50 if they used the test.

“Our study is another example of how modest financial incentives may go a long way in improving health behaviors,” Dr. Kullgren said. “Integrating a small lottery incentive into usual care is a low-cost tool with potential to promote patients’ use of a service proven to saves lives by catching cancer early.”

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cancer killer in the United States, with more than 50,000 deaths each year. It’s deadlier in black folks; we’re twice as likely to succumb to the disease, and studies show black men die up to five years earlier than white men with colon cancer.

The post Raise Colon Cancer Screening Rates With a Lottery appeared first on Black Health Matters.

While colon cancer deaths are going down among African Americans, we still are more likely to die from the disease. Overall, African Americans are twice as likely to die from the disease, with black men dying up to five years earlier than white men.

What’s up with that?

While access to quality health care, poverty and lack of health literacy all play a role, a new study suggests that this racial health disparity may also exist because of our genetics.

Researchers from University of Michigan analyzed 503 patients with colon cancer—45 percent were black and 55 percent white—and found that blacks were 50 percent less likely to develop a type of colon cancer that comes with a better chance of survival.

Only 7 percent of blacks had a type of cancer with a genetic marker called microsatellite instability, or MSI. Even though MSI can be resistant to cancer treatment, those who have this form still have a better chance of surviving the disease. Fourteen percent of whites had MSI.

A whopping 93 percent of blacks with colon cancer do not have this marker and don’t get to reap the survival benefits.

However, researchers also found another explanation for our depressing mortality rates: the location of where the colon cancer presents itself in our bodies.

We are more likely to have colon cancer on the right side of our bodies than our left. Often doctors miss diagnosing colon cancer on the right side compared to left side. Unfortunately, by the time the cancer is found, it’s progressed in patients, which can lower one’s survival rate.

“Right-sided colon cancer may be the ‘black ice’ of the colon, unseen but potentially deadly. Strategies to better recognize and detect right-sided cancer may need to be pursued in a broader fashion,” the study’s main author John Carethers, M.D., said.

While there’s no magic pill to take to make sure we don’t get colon cancer, there are things that we can do to help prevent it. Getting screened regularly for the disease when you turn 50, eating right, working out and limiting the amount of liquor you drink can all help.

For more about colon cancer, go to BET.

The post Why Is Colon Cancer Deadlier in Blacks? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Health disparities in cancer exist based on race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and age.
For nearly all forms of cancer, including breast, lung, colon, prostate and uterine cancers, black folks do worse.
“On the surface, that’s not fair,” Carol Brown, M.D., Associate Cancer Center Director for Diversity and Outreach at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells the gathered crowd at the Black Health Matters Summit at Riverside Church in Harlem, New York, on a recent Saturday afternoon. “Why is that happening? Is it because of injustice or discrimination, or is there something about these cancers and how they work in black people that makes them more difficult to treat?”
Dr. Brown has spent nearly the last three decades trying to answer these questions.
Here’s what we know: Clinical research in underserved populations equals cancer health equity. Put simply, clinical trials are a crucial step to finding new and promising ways to improve treatment for cancer. Most medical advances have come as a result of clinical trials.
Yet, less than 3 percent of people with cancer nationwide enroll in clinical trials.
Despite what we know about the Tuskegee experiment from last century, the reasons why we have such low participation in clinical trials are varied:

• Mistrust in the medical community is a small part.
• We lack awareness about many clinical trials.
• We’re uninvited. We don’t participate because we aren’t asked. Often this is because “the doctor assumes we won’t understand, won’t want to participate or are too sick,” Dr. Brown says. In addition, she explains, “doctors are less likely to ask older people and people who aren’t white to participate in a clinical trial.”
• Our cultural beliefs dissuade us from joining a clinical trial.
• We don’t know the eligibility criteria.
• We are uninsured. Here’s a little-known fact: President Bill Clinton required all commercial insurance plans and Medicare to cover clinical trial costs. The downside? Medicaid does not cover these costs.
• Language differences account for some lack of participation.
• Physician awareness is also key. If your doctor doesn’t know about a clinical trial, he or she can’t invite you to participate.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City have been working to overcome these challenges. According to Dr. Brown, 1 out of 3 patients who enter the facility’s doors enroll in a clinical trial.
“We empower our patients and get them access to cutting-edge, life-changing treatments,” she says.
Some therapies being studied right now at Memorial Sloan-Kettering include:

• Breast cancer. Black women have 10 percent lower cure rates. Currently, researchers have one targeted therapy plus hormone therapy clinical trial and four trials for women with the deadly triple-negative breast cancer.
• Colon cancer. Black patients have 8 percent lower cure rates, and the disease occurs 10 years earlier in blacks than in whites. It is also a more aggressive cancer in blacks. Right now there are four targeted therapy trials for this cancer, and one trial is focused on explaining the racial differences.
• Multiple myeloma. This bone marrow cancer happens at two times the rate in blacks as it does in whites, and the age at diagnosis is 10 years younger in black folks. Researchers have three targeted therapy plus steroid trials in the works.

Dr. Brown is a tireless clinical trials advocate. “Participating in cancer clinical trials is the best way to level the playing field for black people affected by cancer,” she says.  “We’re not just talking about the best in terms of care, but access to the best in new therapies, access to new drugs and interventions before they are widely available. If the treatment is a success, you are among the first to benefit. Memorial Sloan-Kettering is leading the way to understanding racial and ethnical differences in cancer, allowing us to disseminate treatments that can end disparities.”
Click here to download Dr. Brown’s Presentation given at the 2018 Black Health Matters Summit.

The post Cancer Clinical Trials 101 appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The post Colon Cancer Rates Falling Among Blacks appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The post Shop Smart to Fight Cancer appeared first on Black Health Matters.

• Eat healthy. Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov tips to get you started
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity (Talk to your doctor about chronic conditions that may limit your movement.)
• Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, though a full night of sleep may start to elude you as you age. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, talk to your health-care provider.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight
• Get help to quit or don’t start smoking
• Limit alcohol use to one drink or less each day
• Don’t use illegal drugs or misuse prescription drugs
• Wear a helmet when riding a bike and wear protective gear for other sports
• Wear a seatbelt in cars
• Don’t text while driving

Talk to the doctor about:

• Your weight, diet and physical activity level
• Your tobacco and alcohol use
• Any violence in your life
• Depression and any other mental health concerns
• Preventing falls
• Who will make health-care decisions for you if you are unable to
• Low-dose aspirin
• Tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, colorectal cancer, diabetes, bone mineral density
• Vaccines for flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, shingles, thyroid
• HIV
• Lung cancer
• Mammogram
• Osteoporosis (65 and older)
• Dental health
• Eye health
• Pap and HPV (64 and younger)
• Sexually transmitted infections (Screening for STIs is not a regular part of your well-woman visit. Ask for it.)
• Tuberculosis

Protect your heart. According to the American Heart Association, most heart attacks in women occur in the 10 years after menopause. To lower your heart disease risk, keep track of your blood pressure, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, weight and waist circumference.
You’ll likely experience drastic changes in density, strength and moisture levels in your hair in your 60s. This might prompt you to cut your locks, though you shouldn’t feel pressured to do so. Whether you decide to wear your hair long or short, invest in a good cut to reduce wear and tear. Age does cause the scalp to tighten, which affects the ability to grow hair. The solution: Apply a hydrating scalp treatment and massage it in to get more blood flowing.
Forget younger-looking skin and focus on healthy skin. That means exfoliation is critical. And you’re never too old to prevent sun damage. Limit sun exposure and invest in a good sunblock. Since our skin tends to become drier (we lose oil glands as we age), dry skin is a common challenge. Wash your face every night before bed, but not with soap, which pulls away the natural oils necessary to keep your skin healthy. You don’t have to give up those hot baths you love, but you’ll want to slather on moisturizer as soon as you climb out, while your skin is still damp.
Practice safer sex. Mama may take longer to get revved up, but that doesn’t mean her sex life is stuck in park! If you’ve been out of the dating game for a long time, talk to your doctor about condoms and sexually transmitted infections.

The post Live a Healthier Life in Your 60s and Beyond appeared first on Black Health Matters.

• Eat healthy. Go to ChooseMyPlate.gov tips to get you started
• Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity
• Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep, though a full night of sleep may start to elude you as you age. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, talk to your health-care provider.
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight
• Get help to quit or don’t start smoking
• Limit alcohol use to one drink or less each day
• Don’t use illegal drugs or misuse prescription drugs
• Wear a helmet when riding a bike and wear protective gear for other sports
• Wear a seatbelt in cars
• Don’t text while driving

Talk to the doctor about:

• Menopause symptoms
• Your weight, diet and physical activity level
• Your tobacco and alcohol use
• Any violence in your life
• Depression and any other mental health concerns
• Your family health history, especially of cancer
• Low-dose aspirin
• Tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, colorectal cancer (your first screening should occur when your turn 50), diabetes, bone mineral density
• Vaccines for flu, pneumococcal pneumonia, hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Lung cancer (55 and older)
• Mammogram
• Pap and HPV
• Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV (Screening for STIs is not a regular part of your well-woman visit. Ask for it.)
• Tuberculosis

The average age for menopause in this country is 51, though women can hit this milestone anywhere between 41 and 55. You can consider the whole process complete when you haven’t had your period for 12 consecutive months (if you have a period during month 10, you have to start the count over again). This also marks a time of change for your body. Talk to your doctor about hormone replace therapy (or alternatives) to deal with extreme menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
You may notice a change in your bathroom patterns, too. Talk to your doctor about overactive bladder or urinary incontinence issues.
For a lot of women, thinning hair is a fact of life after age 50. In fact, more than 50 percent of women experience some type of thinning hair as they age, from minor hair loss to significant change. Starting a daily vitamin regimen can help improve hair thickness and growth. Biotin, vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids can enhance thinning hair. These can be found in foods like eggs, flaxseed, salmon, tofu, tuna and yellow peppers. They can also be taken in capsule form. As more gray hair comes in, you may also notice a change in your hair’s texture. When coloring or caring for your new mane, choose products free from harsh chemicals, and give your hair a break from heated styling tools as often as possible.
You may be thinking of retiring, but you can’t retire your skincare regimen. The most significant change you’ll notice this decade is dryness and lack of elasticity in your skin. This is because cell turnover slows. Your pores are also more visible, especially on your cheeks. What to do? Wash your face morning and night with a non-soap cleanser. Apply a moisturizer (think serum, which absorbs better than creams) containing peptides or an antioxidant like vitamin C when your face is still damp. Then apply a broad-spectrum moisturizer containing SPF 15 or 20.
Your eyes are still the windows to your soul, but they need more tender loving care now. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a baseline screening for adults with no risk factors of signs of eye disease for all adults older than 40. Based on the results of that screening, an ophthalmologist will prescribe follow-up exams, usually every two years, unless you’re experiencing problems.

The post Live a Healthier Life in Your 50s appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Black men suffer disproportionate rates of cancer diagnosis and death. According to the American Cancer Society, the death rate for all cancers combined is 33 percent higher among African-American men than among their white counterparts. For African-American men aged 45 years or older, cancer is the first or second-leading cause of death after heart disease.

Despite these statistics, there have been few community-based efforts (Black Men Speak Inc. of Oakland, California; Chicago’s Project Brotherhood; Men of Color Health Awareness of Springfield, Massachusetts; and Black Men’s Health and Wellness Expo held in Orlando, Florida) designed to educate this population about cancer. With this in mind, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center held a series of breakfasts from 2008 to mid-2014 to improve awareness, screening and education among African-American men.

The breakfasts, held in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan, targeted African-American men aged 51 to 70 and discovered more than 50 percent of the participants were interested in:

• nutrition
• prostate cancer
• colorectal cancer
• pain management
• participation in clinical trials

The breakfast series concluded, through follow-up surveys and focus groups, that African-American men are interested in learning about health and willing to attend relevant events. The researchers hope their series of breakfasts will provide a blueprint for health professionals to develop similar ongoing programs.

The post Beating Cancer Over Breakfast appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Chronic diseases are responsible for 83 percent of all health-care spending. These are diseases that drag on for years and get slowly worse, and require increasingly complex interventions. These are the diseases that keep doctors in business. And these are the diseases we have power to control. If we eliminate chronic diseases and embrace self-care reform, we could put millions of doctors out of work.

Let me tell you 10 ways to put your doctor out of business:

8. Prevent diabetes. Death rates from cancer, cardiovascular disease and strokes have all gone down in the past decade. All the major diseases are getting better. Except for one. And that one is getting very bad. I’m talking about diabetes.

Most people have only the vaguest idea of what diabetes is, what causes it or what it does. They know it has something to do with sugar, so the image that comes to mind may be something amorphous, like cotton candy.

We can no longer afford to minimize our health problems. So often you will hear someone say, “Oh well, I have a little sugar,” which is like saying, “I’m a little pregnant.” To a doctor, a diabetic is a diabetic. It can cause a loss of kidney function, lead to blindness or cause a loss of feeling in your extremities, and if you are pregnant, it is associated with a higher rate of stillbirths and birth defects.

There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes strikes in childhood and may be genetic in origin. Type 2 diabetes is far more common. Up until recently, it was primarily a disease of aging, but the age-of-onset has been creeping downward in our lifetime. Today, thousands of children are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The rate of admission for kids to hospitals for diabetes-related disease has increased 200 percent in the last decade.

Diabetes has no single trademark symptom; it delivers no ultimatums, no wake-up calls. It sneaks up on you. It’s a glandular disease that throws your enzymes out of whack. The sugar you eat can’t get into your cells. It backs up in blood. Your body chemistry goes haywire. And almost 20 million Americans have diabetes.Almost a third of them may not be aware of it.

Diabetes keeps a lot of doctors very busy. Not only endocrinologists, who treat glandular disorders, but nephrologists, cardiologists, heart surgeons, urologists, vascular surgeons, podiatrists and eye doctors. That’s because left untreated, diabetes can lead to kidney failure and dialysis, erectile dysfunction, stroke, vascular disease, heart disease, gangrene and blindness.

While there’s no simple way to prevent or cure cancer, there is a “magic bullet” for diabetes. It’s called diet, exercise and avoiding becoming overweight or obese. No one is sure what causes diabetes, but you can virtually eliminate your chances of developing it by getting regular exercise and eating a plant-strong diet. If you have diabetes, you can control and reverse the disease the same way.

9 & 10. Stop smoking and lose weight. Smoking and obesity run like Bonnie and Clyde through every chronic disease condition. They’re implicated in thousands of crimes against the body. Smoking and obesity alone may drive more than half to three-quarters of our current demand for health care. This fact is deeply ironic, because of all the variables that control human health, smoking and obesity are two of the most controllable. We can’t control our genes. We can’t run from viruses and bacteria. But smoking and obesity are 100 precent volitional.

Mark Twain said, “It’s easy to stop smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” As Toby Cosgrove, M.D., the noted heart surgeon and CEO of Cleveland clinic, says, “No single action can have a greater positive effect on individual health than smoking cessation.” It’s like stepping out of the way of an oncoming train. Under Dr. Cosgrove’s leadership, the Cleveland Clinic campus went smoke-free several years ago. Many hospitals across the country have adopted similar policies.

Smoking went from sexy to scary in 1961 with the first study linking it to lung cancer. Now we know smoking is associated with 17 types of cancer, in addition to causing wrinkles, cardiovascular disease, birth defects and emphysema, and it is a factor in everything from osteoporosis to gum disease. If tobacco use disappeared tomorrow, thousands of oncologists, pulmonologists, heart surgeons, vascular surgeons and thoracic surgeons would have to find other lines of work. Gynecologists would go out of work, too, because smoking in women is associated with infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, premature deliveries, premature menopause, and cervical pre-cancer and cervical cancer.

But nothing is more culturally conditioned than our eating habits. Obesity arises from a complex interplay of cultural and emotional factors. People who are overweight deserve our compassion.

One of the most disturbing aspects of obesity is that we are passing these unhealthy habits on to our children. When parents are obese, children are more likely to be obese. One of the most sobering statistics reveals that this generation of young people is one of the unhealthiest groups of kids ever. More children today are diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension than in the history of medicine. As in adults, obesity in children is associated with diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Sadly, our children will have a shorter lifespan than their parents and grandparents if they continue with the lifestyles they are leading. Car seats are now being made in husky sizes for children because they are too large to fit in the average size ones. By viewing this excessive weight in babies as cute, we underplay the risk to these children’s lives. Get your kids outside to exercise. Limit TV, computers and video gamesto less than one hour daily. Or, in another practical way, for every minute of TV, the kids should engage in an equal amount of exercise.

Obesity is directly related to a long list of chronic illnesses. Foremost is diabetes. Rates of adult-onset diabetes shoot up right alongside the obesity rates.

Health statistics are deceptive. We talk about high rates of cardiovascular disease, breast and gynecological cancers and colon cancer, but being overweight is also linked with orthopedic and joint problems. Hip, ankle and knee replacements and other joint ailments and pain are noted in overweight patients. Accidents, falls and sleep disorders are additional health conditions associated with obesity.

Obesity is a more serious public health problem than smoking. Smoking is one habit, one behavior; obesity is enabled by a galaxy of cultural, psychological, spiritual, economic and political factors that involved every facet of our society.

Tens of thousands of doctors enjoy excellent incomes, thanks to obesity. Over the past 20 years, we’ve seen a national change of heart about smoking, which has banished tobacco to the outer fringes of acceptability. Perhaps over the next 20 years, we’ll see a similar change of heart about food. We’ll talk about where and how our food is grown, how it is processed, what is added to it, when and how we eat and how agricultural subsidies contribute to obesity in this country. We’ll talk about pride and personal responsibility, because unlike smoking, you can’t legislate how and where people eat.

A healthy weight takes sweat. It means learning how to cook your own meals rather than eating out. It means portion control. It means learning how to say “no.” It requires getting used to new tastes, new flavors and modifying recipes so they contain less fat and salt. Try a new spice, herb, flavor or meal plan for 30 days. Usually after 30 days, anything we stick with becomes a habit. If we all stayed in the neighborhood of our ideal body weight, we could put another tens of thousands of doctors out of work. And who wouldn’t like to take some profits from the pharmaceutical companies? People who lose weight suddenly find they can decrease the number and amount of medications or completely stop their medications. Addressing these two problems—tobacco and obesity—would essentially resolve our national health-care crisis by shrinking demand for services down to a manageable size.

That’s my top 10, but there are other ways to cut your doctor’s business. For instance, you can cut your doctor visits by making each appointment really count. Be clear with yourself about what you want from the visit. Be absolutely honest with your doctor. Remember your medical information is a sacred trust. Your doctor can’t help you if you hold back information. Ask questions; listen carefully. Be prepared to talk about your health problems systematically. Discuss your concerns—even if they make you feel awkward. Repeat and summarize what your doctor tells you, and don’t leave without an action plan.

“So what?” you might say. “Who wants to live forever? Everybody has to die of something.”

Certainly, we all will die of something, but death doesn’t have to be slow or painful and well in advance of the biblical three score and 10. Chronic diseases don’t kill you suddenly. With chronic diseases, you get progressively more ill and debilitated, especially if your disease is not managed correctly. The receptionist in the doctor’s waiting room gets to know you very well—and the names of all your children and pets. Death is inevitable, but a long, dragged-out lifetime of ill health is not.

Paying attention to ourselves is not selfishness or narcissism. It’s part of our responsibility to others. Americans suffer from preventable diseases in gross numbers compared to exotic bacterial and parasitic infections seen in third-world countries. We are all connected by invisible cords of mind, body and spirit. Let’s use our minds to take care of our bodies, care for ourselves and recharge our spirits. Get off the pity pot. Start with one small change, be it diet, a pledge to exercise more, smile more, or having gratitude, forgiveness or sharing your wealth with others. It’s never too late to get healthy. Make tomorrow the first day of the rest of your life!

This series first appeared in Career & Lifestyle Magazine.

The post 10 Ways to Put Your Doctor Out of Business, Part 5 appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Chronic diseases are responsible for 83 percent of all health-care spending. These are diseases that drag on for years and get slowly worse, and require increasingly complex interventions. These are the diseases that keep doctors in business. And these are the diseases we have power to control. If we eliminate chronic diseases and embrace self-care reform, we could put millions of doctors out of work.

Let me tell you 10 ways to put your doctor out of business:

6. Screening for cancer. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in America. The American Cancer Society estimates that almost a million and a half people will die of cancer this year—about the same number of men as women—and it will kill far more African Americans than persons of other cultures. The cancer mortality rate for African-American men is 44 percent higher than for white men.

If you’re waiting for a cure for cancer, don’t hold your breath. The galaxy of diseases we call cancer is so vast and so complex that it defies any single treatment. Cancer researchers are stymied. Decoding the genome has taught us a great deal—mostly, how little we know.

Tobacco and alcohol avoidance are the primary behavioral modifications you can take to prevent cancer. The same diet that protects against heart disease may also protect against some cancer. We worry about pollution of the air and water, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, only 2 percent of cancer is caused by environmental pollution.

When it comes to putting your doctor out of business, cancer is a challenge. Your best strategy is screening. Fortunately, some of the deadliest cancers can be screened for and caught in their earliest stages. So women need to be faithful about getting their mammograms and Pap smears.

Did you know that more women die of colon cancer than breast cancer? Men and women older than 55 or those with a family history of colon cancer need to get a colonoscopy every five years. Personal vigilance is also critical. That means breast and testicular self-examination; awareness of moles and skin discoloration; noting the presence of odd lumps or discharges. Cancer specialists will not be going out of business soon, but with screening, you can take a bite out of their incomes.

7. Take care of your heart. The most recent America’s Best Hospital’s Survey noted that the Cleveland Clinic Sydell and Mill Family Heart and Vascular Institute ranks No. 1 in cardiology and heart surgery. It is the largest single-use medical building in the world. Only one disease is big enough to deserve a building of that size: heart disease. Coronary artery disease is still the No. 1 cause of death in America. Cleveland Clinic heart specialists are learning more and more about heart disease every day, and one of the things they’re learning is that it’s also one of the most preventable of the chronic diseases.

Most coronary artery disease is self-inflicted, or made worse by our behaviors. Risk factors include obesity, lack of exercise, poor diet, high cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure. These are all factors we can control. Research led by Cleveland Clinic’s Steve Nissen, M.D., has shown that certain doses of statin drugs can not stop the progression of atherosclerosis, but can reverse it. Increasingly, studies also indicate that plant-based and plant-strong diets can help diminish chances of developing and even reverse heart disease.

Another big discovery seems to be that women get heart disease, too. In fact, as many women die of heart attacks as men—only it happens on average later in life for women. Heart attacks may also have less obvious symptoms in women than in men, and women are less likely to get to an emergency room within 90 minutes—the time within which you can still save heart muscle and prevent more serious complications death.

A recent study by Duke Medical Center showed that African Americans were 40 percent more likely to die of heart disease than Caucasians. Co-morbidities were a factor, as African Americans were more likely to have hypertension and diabetes, but they were also less aggressively treated—for reasons that the study didn’t make clear. Statistics like this make the preventive mantra even more critical for African Americans: stop smoking, eat healthy, exercise more, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, watch your weight. Hospitals can build all the buildings they want, but there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be empty, desolate places, the roosts of owls. You don’t have to need them. You don’t want to be admitted.

Check back tomorrow for Part 5 of “10 Ways to Put Your Doctor Out of Business.”

The post 10 Ways to Put Your Doctor Out of Business, Part 4 appeared first on Black Health Matters.

We’ve written a lot lately about vitamin D and African Americans over the past few months, especially since so many of us are deficient given our darker skin (which doesn’t absorb the sunlight that is packed with vitamin D) and the fact that we consume less dairy (a common source of the vitamin). Low vitamin D levels have been linked to heart disease, asthma, flu, bacterial vaginosis, osteoporosis and glucose intolerance. It’s also believed that low vitamin D levels play a role in why we develop more prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer and get more aggressive forms of those cancers.

But that isn’t all.

A recent study may have found a link between low levels of vitamin D and multiple sclerosis (MS) in African Americans. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco found that African Americans with multiple sclerosis are more likely to have vitamin D deficiencies than African Americans who don’t have the disease.

“We have known that vitamin D levels are associated with MS and that African Americans are at increased risk for having low vitamin D levels, but little research has been done to look at vitamin D levels in African Americans with MS,” said Ari J. Green, M.D., the lead researcher for the study.

The study involved 339 people with MS and 342 people who did not have the disease. Researchers analyzed the blood vitamin D levels and the severity of the disease in each participant. Vitamin D deficiency was found in 77 percent of the people with MS, compared to 71 percent of those without the disease. The people with MS were also exposed to a lower monthly UV index (average of 3.8) than those without MS (average of 4.8).

Researchers hope that these findings will spark more conversations between black patients and their health-care providers about how much UV exposure is needed, the importance of getting tested for vitamin D levels and whether supplements would be a good choice.

Only recently has MS been found to be as common in African Americans as it is in whites, and when we do develop the disease, it’s much more severe. And that can be devastating given how MS impacts the body.

MS is a potentially debilitating autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). Basically the immune system eats away at the protective sheath that covers your nerves, which ends up interfering with the communication between your brain and the rest of your body. This may result in the deterioration of the nerves themselves, which is not reversible.

Some signs and symptoms of MS are:

Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs, which typically occurs on one side of your body at a time or the bottom half of your body
Partial or complete loss of vision, usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement
Double vision or blurring of vision
Tingling or pain in parts of your body
Electric-shock sensations that occur with certain head movements
Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait
Fatigue
Dizziness
MS is most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, but can be seen at any age. And while there is treatment for MS, the disease has no cure.

Learn more about MS at BET.com.

The post The Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D Link appeared first on Black Health Matters.

It may not be high on our list of hot topics, but we need to talk about colon cancer. We’ve made significant decreases in colon cancer death rates over the past 20 years, but it is still the third-deadliest cancer in this country for both men and women. Not surprisingly, black folks have the highest rate of colon cancer and we are more likely to die from it.

That’s the bad news. The good news: Colon cancer is preventable with routine screening. And if it’s found early, it’s treatable. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, when found and treated early, the five-year survival rate for colon cancer is about 90 percent.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so we offer this advice for preventing the disease or catching it early:
Know your risk factors. These include a family history of colon or rectal cancer, a history of polyps in the colon or rectum, having ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, or being obese. Men are more likely to receive a colon cancer diagnosis. Some data suggests that a diet high in red meat increases the risk of colon cancer, as does heavy drinking and smoking. (More recent data calls the red meat link into question, however.) And race is also a risk factor. A 2010 study found that many African Americans don’t know much about colon cancer, don’t know if they have a family history and are less likely to be screened.

Talk to your doctor about getting tested. There are five types of screening tests:

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy. A slender tube is inserted through the rectum into the colon so doctors can perform a visual exam of the rectum and lower third of the colon.
• Colonoscopy. A direct exam of the colon and rectum. If polyps are discovered, they are removed. Though the general rule is to have a baseline screening at age 50, some experts suggest that black folks have their first colonoscopy at age 45 because of our increased risk of developing the disease.
• Double-contract barium enema. A radiological exam of the colon in which barium sulfate is introduced through the rectum and spreads throughout the colon.
• CT colonography. A fairly new test that provides detailed, cross-sectional 2D or 3D views of the colon and rectum with an x-ray machine connected to a computer.
• Fecal occult blood test. An at-home kit from a health-care provider that can detect blood in the stool.

Stay on top of your screenings. If your baseline screening is fine, you should repeat your colonoscopy once every 10 years. A sigmoidoscopy is performed every five years and the fecal occult blood test every three. Note that your risk increases with age, so be sure to talk to your doctor about more frequent screenings.

Know the symptoms. The most common symptoms of colon cancer are rectal bleeding, blood in the stool or a change in bowel habits. Other symptoms include lower stomach cramping, long-term constipation or diarrhea, an unnecessary urge to have a bowel movement and unintentional weight loss.

Eat a high-fiber diet. Research suggests a diet high in fiber (oranges, almonds, raspberries, peas, carrots, sunflower seeds, whole-wheat flour) can decrease your risk of developing colon cancer.

The post Colon Cancer 101 appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The post Colorectal Cancer Rates Rising Among Young Folks appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Scallops are high in protein, low in fat, and a 3.5-ounce serving will set you back about 100 calories. They’re also a great source of vitamin B12, calcium, iron (providing about 17 percent of our daily requirement), magnesium, potassium and zinc. The delicate, mild-sweet flavor of scallops is enjoyed even by folks who aren’t particularly fond of fish or other shellfish, which is great since scallops promote heart health and protect against colon cancer.

This recipe is so simple we’re loathe to call it cooking.

Pan-Seared Scallops

1/4 pound sea scallops per person

Olive oil for pan

Heat oil in a skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add scallops. Cook until beginning to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the other side (another 2 to 3 minutes) and scallops are just barely opaque in the center. Watch them constantly while cooking to prevent overcooking. Serve immediately.
Photo: Depositphotos

The post Scoop Up Some Scallops appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The stats are distressing. More than 75 percent of us are overweight or obese, and though we know regular physical activity comes with a whole host of health benefits, with the exception of Latinos, we are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyles than other any other racial or ethnic group. One study of more than 30,000 healthy adult women in this country found middle-aged women need at least an hour of moderate activity every day to maintain a healthy weight without restricting calories, but few of us meet the minimum 30-minutes three times a week recommendation, so it should come as no surprise that daily hour-long workouts aren’t happening.

On top of the obesity and exercise news, there’s the fact that black folks have the highest rates of high blood pressure in the world, and we are more likely to suffer the complications of diabetes, itself an out-of-control epidemic. Both of these conditions can be better managed with physical activity.

It is with all of this in mind that the National Medical Association (NMA) is set to launch its “A Prescription for Exercise” initiative, designed to educate its physician members about the importance of prescribing exercise—alongside pharmaceutical and nutritional protocols—in treatment plans for their patients. Last week, Black Health Matters spoke with NMA President Edith Mitchell and Martin Hamlette, executive director of the NMA, about the program.

Black Health Matters: Why this initiative? Why now?

Edith Mitchell, M.D.: The equation for health involves multiple factors, and it’s important for us to look at the preventive aspect as well as treatment and follow-up. It is trying to prevent complications of disease as opposed to waiting for complications to occur and then treat the disease.

Martin Hamlette: The correlation between wellness and health are now linked. And medicine and access to medicine is an integral part of the overall picture. That includes understanding diet and the importance of exercise. Practitioners serving this community have to incorporate this piece into how they treat a patient.

How are physicians responding to the program?

Dr. Mitchell: Physicians will do those things for which educational programs have demonstrated effectiveness. The problem with many physician practices is that there is no time to do a lot of preventive medicine. So we have to package the educational programs in a manner easily utilizable in the doctor’s office. Other staff members can be complementary. And we’ve got to learn to use the community and churches, with fraternities and sororities and community organizations in our efforts.

[Also read: Get the Most Out of Your Doctor Visit]

How will physicians present this prescription for exercise to their patients?

Dr. Mitchell: Inflammation contributes to the development of heart disease and worsening of the disease for people who already have it. The same is true for rheumatoid arthritis as well as cancer. Exercise decreases inflammation in the body. We have to teach patients why exercise works, just as we’ve been doing colon cancer screening and education for patients for many years.

[Also read: More Men Getting Screening Colonoscopies]

Hamlette: Primarily this is a physician education campaign. It’s getting down to the details of how you address this topic. It’s increasing patient awareness of how well diet and exercise fit in. It’s not enough for patients to hear that they’re pre-diabetic and need to increase their exercise. What does that mean? Many times patients aren’t in a position where they feel like they can have a dialogue. It’s physicians saying, “It doesn’t have to be joining a gym; it can be taking a flight of stairs” or whatever it might be. The provider now has a new method, and the patient gets the bonus of taking care of their health as well.

What challenges, if any, do you foresee?

Dr. Mitchell: I’m a big proponent of the current health markets making sure those patients who need insurance get the best insurance for their families. But increasing the number of people with insurance is only one aspect of the program. We have to work with CMS to provide better reimbursements to physicians for preventive screenings. Colon cancer screenings? Now covered. Lung cancer patients at high risk—now covered. Breast cancer screening has been covered for some time. Though more insurances are starting to include exercise as part of preventive health, as educators we have to advocate so it can be incorporated into routine office practice.

Hamlette: The success of the program is going to be the number of the physicians we reach, but also how many patients.

The official kickoff of A Prescription for Exercise will be during the March 4-6, 2016, NMA Colloquium: True North Toward Health Care Equity at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

The post Edith Mitchell, M.D.: The Time Is Right for a Prescription for Exercise appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Men are getting more screening colonoscopies since the health law reduced how much Medicare beneficiaries pay out of pocket for the preventive tests, a recent study found. The change, however, didn’t affect women’s rates.

The study, published in the December issue of Health Affairs, compared rates of screening for colorectal cancer among people age 66 to 75 before and after the health law passed in 2010. Starting in 2011, that law waived the Medicare Part B deductible (which totals $147 annually in 2015) and eliminated the requirement that beneficiaries pay 20 percent of the cost for screening colonoscopies.

The data came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

The study found that in men, colonoscopy screening rates increased from 18 to 22 percent following implementation of the health law, a 20 percent increase. In women, however, the rate didn’t budge, remaining at 18 percent even after the law passed.

The study’s finding that women didn’t respond to policy changes related to colorectal cancer screening coverage is consistent with other research, said Kandice Kapinos, the study co-author who is an economist at Rand, a nonprofit research and policy organization.

“Maybe they assess their risk differently because they generally have a lower incidence of colorectal cancer than men,” she said.

There is also some research that shows that women are more likely to say an endoscopic screening test such as a colonoscopy is embarrassing and to opt instead for a blood stool screening test, Kapinos said.

Under the health law, services that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are covered without patients having to pay anything out of pocket. The task force recommends screening for colorectal cancer using stool testing, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy between age 50 and 75.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death in cancers that affect both men and women, according to the CDC. The colonoscopy is considered highly effective as a screening tool because it can locate polyps, most of which are benign, and remove them before they have a chance to become malignant.

Screening rates are lower than they should be, however, and only 40 percent of adults are up to date, according to the study.

Under the health law, private plans can’t charge consumers a portion of the cost if, during their screening colonoscopy, a polyp is discovered and removed. That step is considered an integral part of a colonoscopy.

Under Medicare, however, beneficiaries may be charged 20 percent coinsurance in such instances because if a polyp is found, the procedure is then considered diagnostic rather than screening. The researchers note that disparity and suggest the elimination of “the remaining difference in cost-sharing between screening and therapeutic colonoscopies could improve screening rates.”

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network continues to urge Congress to close the loophole, says spokeswoman Alissa Crispino.

From Kaiser Health News

The post More Men Getting Screening Colonoscopies appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The 13 million Americans who are newly enrolled in health insurance are now eligible for preventive health services, such as screenings and vaccinations, intended to forestall serious and costly illnesses. The cost: free.

The Affordable Care Act requires cost-free prevention services for most health plans, including private insurance plans, meaning no co-payments, deductibles or co-insurance payments.

Many health policy experts believe this step alone will greatly reduce health disparities for minorities, the poor and the poorly educated. These groups have dominated the ranks of the uninsured, as well as those who went without crucial preventive health services. The calculation now is simple.

“The more folks are insured, the higher the likelihood they will get access to preventive services,” said Roopa Mahadevan, a program officer with the Center for Health Care Strategies.

Policymakers believe there will be an uptick in preventive services for the general population as well since private insurance plans are included in the requirement. But it is the law’s impact on health disparities that most excites them.

Last summer, the AARP Public Policy Institute published a report about adults between ages 50 and 64 who use—or don’t use—preventive health services. The study, which was in the field from 2010-2011, found that fewer than one out of three midlife adults were up-to-date with recommended preventive services.

In general, AARP found, African Americans, poor people and those with less education were less likely to have these screenings and more likely to have health risk factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

The 13 services now available free were based on recommendations from several federal and nonprofit health-related agencies, including the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The services included mammograms and Pap tests, colorectal and cholesterol tests, flu vaccines and screening of patients who are smokers, obese, don’t exercise or binge-drink.

A few highlights from the AARP study:

Eighty-six percent of women who earn more than $75,000 a year had a mammogram in the last two years compared to 66 percent of those earning less than $15,000.
Nearly 68 percent of those with higher education received a colorectal cancer screening in the last year compared to 40 percent who did not graduate from high school.
The share of African Americans with high blood pressure was 63 percent compared to 41 percent for whites.
More than 44 percent of whites received flu shots compared to 36 percent for Hispanics and African Americans.
At the state level, AARP found Idaho, Mississippi and Montana tied for the worst record of preventive service use among people ages 50 to 64. Northeast states fared best and Massachusetts ranked first, possibly because of its health-care reforms in 2006.

Access Isn’t Only Explanation

Although it’s too early to tell if people are taking advantage of the new preventive health measures, the National Association of Community Health Centers reports there has been an upsurge in demand by patients in some parts of the country, particularly in states that opted to expand Medicaid eligibility.

Health policy experts believe cost and lack of access to care account for most disparities in who receives preventive services. They are hopeful the health-care act provisions will reduce the disparities. But Lynda Flowers, a senior adviser at the AARP Public Policy Institute, said it is not a given.

“I think that a lot may be driven by access to care, and the jury is out about whether access will lead to increase use of preventive service,” said Flowers. “Access matters. It is not the whole story, but it matters.”

A famous 2003 report by the Institute of Medicine found that even accounting for differences in income and health insurance status, minorities tended to receive worse health care than did whites.

Other factors aside from health insurance, said Megan Multack, author of the AARP report, keep people from preventive services, especially those with low incomes. Lack of transportation and an inability to take time for work are frequent obstacles, she said.

Stephen B. Thomas, a professor of health services administration in the School of Public Health and director of the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity, is blunter. “We have structural barriers,” he said. “We have institutional racism in our delivery systems right now.” Medical institutions, he said, must do a better job providing services in the languages of their patients and in employing providers of the same race and ethnicity.

Multack said doctors can do more to reduce disparities. “They often fail to recommend preventive services. They don’t have automatic reminder services and sometimes they themselves underestimate value of preventive services.”

Flowers said preventive health is still something of a stepchild in American medicine. “We are very much a disease-oriented people, and it will take much more education starting with young children to spread a wellness point of view.”

Overall Strategy

While the AARP study promotes a clinical approach to reducing disparities in preventive care, many other organizations push communitywide health strategies as well.

“Fundamentally, to address disparities in preventive health requires a mix of strategies, some in institutional settings but others focusing on environmental and social conditions,” said Jeremy Cantor, program manager at the Prevention Institute in California.

There are many examples spreading across the country. Cantor pointed to the example of St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, a health clinic in a poor area of south Los Angeles. Some years ago, a doctor examined an 18-month-old child who couldn’t walk, talk or lift his head. It turned out the boy was suffering from lead poisoning, which, while common in the East, was little understood in California at the time. The discovery led to blood tests of all children under 6 who came to the clinic. More than half had elevated levels of lead in their blood.

That discovery sparked partnerships between St. John’s and community organizations in south L.A. focused on eradicating health risks in the older buildings in the neighborhood and also creating more open spaces for recreation and opening grocery stores with fresh fruits and vegetables. All of those efforts are squarely in the realm of disease prevention.

“While everyone focused on expanding enrollment (in health insurance) and controlling costs, there are all these sorts of solutions that could be part of the overall strategy,” said Cantor.

Both Vermont and Oregon are experimenting with projects that link community health centers with communitywide efforts to improve health.

Cantor and others don’t underestimate the opportunities that the health-care law creates to vastly improve preventive care. It does, however, fail to correct an inconsistency when it comes to their availability.

Although those in the expanded population of Medicaid beneficiaries will receive preventive health services for free, the same is not necessarily true of those previously receiving Medicaid.

The health-care law creates a financial incentive to provide preventive services at no cost to previously eligible Medicaid beneficiaries, but final decisions are left to each state as to which services to offer and whether beneficiaries will have to pay some of the costs. It has created a patchwork of different approaches across the country, as described in a Health Affairs article.

From Stateline, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news service of the Pew Charitable Trusts that provides daily reporting and analysis on trends in state policy.

The post A Chance to Prevent Illness appeared first on Black Health Matters.

In case you were waffling on that decision to kick the nicotine habit: The surgeon general’s new report on smoking, released 50 years after the original, says smoking is worse than we thought. The list of diseases caused by lighting up has expanded from lung cancer and heart disease to include birth defects, colon cancer, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, liver cancer, macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis.
Are you someone who swears by your morning cup of coffee to get your brain working right? Well, it turns out you may be right. A new study found that healthy young people who got a dose of caffeine right after looking at pictures were better at remembering details about the pictures the next day. We’re sure coffee and tea lovers everywhere are rejoicing at this news.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is not so good for your memory. Recent research shows midlife men who are heavy drinkers suffer serious declines in memory and thinking skills. These declines weren’t only evident the day after a bender, but also a decade later. And though similar research for women drinkers didn’t produce as clear results, why chance it?
From news of the slightly weird: The Food and Drug Administration warns that home wart removal products may catch fire. The products, which freeze off warts with a mixture of propane and liquid dimethyl ether, carry labels that warn consumers to keep them from fire, cigarettes and other heat sources. Despite the labels, however, 14 users have reported fires and 10 people have suffered injuries, including burns, blisters and singed hair. Got warts? You might want to see your physician for removal.
African-American soldiers are 50 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than Latinos, whites and other ethnicities in the military. Researchers from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center were shocked by the research since all service men and women have equal access to health care on base.

The post Health Replay: Smoking Is Worse Than We Thought … and More appeared first on Black Health Matters.

What happened in the world of health this week?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday announced plans to remove artificial trans fats from the United States food supply. trans fats, which provide texture to food and prolong shelf life, come with health risks, including raising bad cholesterol and increasing the risk of heart disease. Many companies began lowering trans fats a decade ago, and San Francisco and New York banned their use in restaurants, but the FDA says 12 percent of all packaged foods still contain the ingredient.
Last week, New York City successfully voted to raise the tobacco age limit to 21. Now Washington, D.C., is looking to institute a similar law. “Raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 will decrease access to cigarettes, and, more importantly, may decrease the rate of smoking in young adults,” said D.C. Councilman Kenyan McDuffie in a released statement. “By restricting tobacco sales to young people, we can prevent many of our youth from acquiring a terrible, deadly addiction.” The measure is getting looks from other legislatures, too, including the state of New Jersey.
Black Men Run is launched by Jason L. Russell to encourage black men, who have disproportionately high rates of heart disease and obesity, to be active and stay fit. So far, chapters have sprung up in Atlanta; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati; Greenville, South Carolina; Houston; Jacksonville, Florida; Louisville, Kentuck; Macon, Georgia; Memphis, Tennessee; Miami; Nashville, Tennessee; New York City, St. Louis, Washington, D.C.; and Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Too few folks are being screened for colon cancer. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that a third of adults age 50 and older don’t have the screening. Testing saves lives. When colon cancer is found early, 90 percent of those diagnosed with the disease survive five years or longer.
Being bilingual can delay dementia. A study found bilingual people, no matter their education level, develop dementia years later than other people who speak only one language.
Young women with diabetes are four times more likely to develop heart disease than women who are not diabetic.
Americans are making healthier food choices, according to a study from market research firm NPD Group. The healthier choices include more fruits and yogurt and less soda and fruit juice. Big upside: These eating changes may account for signs the obesityepidemic in this country has been leveling off in recent years.

The post Health Replay: Trans Fat Ban … and More appeared first on Black Health Matters.

In addition to their cinnamon brown skin or their dimpled cheeks, families share other qualities that affect member’s health and longevity, including their genes, environment and lifestyle. You inherit half of your genetic profile from each parent. Along with the genetic information that determines your appearance, you also inherit genes that might cause or increase your risk of certain medical conditions.
A family medical history can reveal the history of disease in your family and allow you to identify patterns that might be relevant to your own health. A complete record includes three generations of first-degree relatives, which includes children, siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents and cousins.
Know Your History; Change Your Lifestyle
Don Sims, 47 of Atlanta, uses his family health history to motivate him to live a healthier lifestyle. “Several members of my family died of cancer, heart disease, strokes and diabetes. I don’t want to be like that. What’s really frustrating is when I see other people in my family continue to eat fatty, processed food, live sedentary lives and basically not care about their health.” As a result, he is very conscientious about his diet, eating mostly whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and he exercises daily.
Sims is right on track, according to Leah Thompson, an Atlanta nurse. “Knowing and learning from your family’s medical history is important so you can know what lifestyle changes to make in order to keep history from repeating,” she says.
What Should You Include in Your Family Medical History?
When pulling together your family medical history, gather the following information:
Sex
Date of birth
Ethnicity
Medical conditions
Mental health conditions, including alcoholism or other substance abuse
Pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects or infertility
Age when each condition was diagnosed
Lifestyle habits, including diet, exercise and tobacco use
For deceased relatives, age at the time of death and cause of death
Pay special attention to conditions that develop earlier than usual, such as high blood pressure in early adulthood, or conditions, such as diabetes or colon cancer, that affect multiple relatives. It’s also important to know if genetic conditions, like sickle cell anemia, are in your family. Once you pass pertinent family health history to your health-care provider, she can enhance your health-care experience. She can order more frequent screenings and focus on specific health concerns during your visits.
Doing the Work
Your next family gathering is a great place to start asking questions about your family health history. Information from obituaries, old letters, baby books and public records (birth certificates, marriage licenses, death certificates) is useful as well.
Asking Medical Questions
African-American families, especially some of the older members, are notoriously reluctant to talk about health issues. If they seem unwilling to share this information, consider these strategies:
Have a partner. Enlist a sibling or a cousin to help with this family project.
Share your purpose. Explain that you’re creating a record to help you determine whether you and your relatives have a family history of certain diseases or health conditions. Offer to make the medical history available to other family members so they can share the information with their doctors.
Provide several ways to answer questions. Some people might be more willing to share health information in a face-to-face conversation. Others might prefer answering your questions by phone, mail or email.
Word questions carefully. Keep your questions short and to the point. (How long did Grandma live? How did she die? Did she have any diseases?)
Be a good listener. As your relatives to talk about their health problems and listen without judgment or comment.
Respect privacy. As you collect information about your relatives, respect their right to confidentiality.
Your family’s medical history can’t predict your future health, but having this information in your arsenal is one weapon in the fight to live a long, healthy life. Knowing the ins and outs of your family’s health matters can give you the opportunity to make choices to help prevent diseases that disproportionately affect African Americans.

The post Know Your Family’s Medical History appeared first on Black Health Matters.