Dr. Artie Shelton, MD. Col (ret) US Army, PHEN Ambassador, provided opening remarks for the third session of PHEN’s 21st Annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit. This session discussed reducing the racial disparity with new prostate cancer treatments and clinical trials. Dr. Shelton also mentioned his own prostate cancer journey, emphasizing the importance of early detection screening.

“In 2003, during my annual prostate screening, my urologist informed me that my PSA… increased from the previous year and my urologist recommended that I have a prostate biopsy [due to family history of prostate cancer],” discussed Dr. Shelton. “Two weeks later, he called me and said, ‘Artie, you have prostate cancer.’ Because of early detection, I am a 22-year prostate cancer survivor.”

He expressed his gratitude to PHEN Founder and President Mr. Thomas Farrington and introduced PHEN’s Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education Dr. Keith Crawford.