Houston Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally Virtual Town Hall Meeting

On November 8th, PHEN held a virtual Town Hall Meeting to conclude its month-long Houston Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally. PHEN Founder and President Thomas Farrington welcomed the audience, discussed the prostate cancer disparity campaign in Texas, and introduced Rev. Adrian Backus, the Director of Church Partnerships and Community Outreach at PHEN.

Rev. Backus discussed the objectives of the Houston Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally, how it was conducted, and how PHEN disparity rallies have reached more than 19 million people since 2021.

Dr. Keith Crawford, Director of Clinical Trials and Patient Education at PHEN, conducted a presentation on prostate cancer statistics, which focused on national and Houston-based data. The most pressing statistic shows a 65% increase in prostate cancer cases between 2019 and 2023, according to the American Cancer Society.

Most importantly, the Town Hall involved a panel discussion with medical experts and community leaders. These leaders included:

• Dr. Veronica Ajewole, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Texas Southern University
• Mr. DeWayne Charleston, PHEN Prostate Cancer Survivor Network member
• Dr. Heather Goltz, Professor of Social Work at the University of Houston
• Dean Charles Lewter IV, Dean of Chapel at Prairie View A&M University
• Dr. Curtis Pettaway, Professor of Urology at MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Rev. Dr. Timothy Sloan, Senior Pastor at The Luke Church
• Ms. Kobe Walker, Policy Advisor/Press Assistant for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

The takeaway message from the panel discussion revolves around the importance of collaboration on a grassroots level to spread prostate cancer awareness. The Town Hall Meeting concluded with a survey presented to the audience. The results from the audience survey showed that 100% of the greatly enjoyed the Town Hall Meeting. Furthermore, 100% of the audience was satisfied with the town hall participants and their viewpoints.

In addition, 100% of were happy with the approaches discussed to eliminate the prostate cancer disparity in Houston, Texas. Lastly, everyone who took the audience survey believes that PHEN’s Prostate Cancer Disparity Rally will make an impact in eliminating the disparity in Houston.