MUHEF Awarded Grant For Prostate Cancer Awareness and Screening by Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority

ATLANTA - May 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Midtown Urology’s Health and Education Foundation (MUHEF) & the Community Health and Men’s Promotion Summit (CHAMPS) has received a grant award, for the 1st time, from the Fulton-Dekalb Hospital Authority to mobilize more prostate cancer screening and awareness in Fulton and Dekalb Counties.  


Through the program, Fulton and Dekalb county men will be screened at no cost. Men will also receive the recently published book, Surviving and Thriving: Candid, Real Life Stories of Prostate Cancer (A Complete Guide for Every Man and Woman) and be provided with other literature regarding the basics of prostate cancer screening and treatment options. Men can also receive personal support through MUHEF’s local partners such as the Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition, Midtown Urology, and many more.

More than 500 men were taught the importance of early detection of prostate cancer and received prostate cancer screening last year through annual CHAMPS health care events. In 2012, CHAMPS served 464 participants which consisted of 432 African Americans (94.12%), 14 Caucasians (3.05%), 3 Asians (.65%), 7 Hispanics (1.53%), and 3 (.65%) undisclosed persons.

Prostate cancer is a major problem in the United States. Second only to skin cancer, prostate cancer is the number one diagnosed cancer in the country. African- American men face a disproportionate affliction rate from prostate cancer when compared with their White counterparts. They have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the entire world and suffer more than two times higher mortality rate than any other race of men. The American Cancer Society estimates that 238,590 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004 and an estimated 29,720 will die. Georgia is listed in the top ten of estimated number of new cases for prostate cancer and deaths for prostate cancer in the United States.

Recent guidelines have been released from the American Urological Association (AUA) regarding early detection of prostate cancer and they have recommended that “for men…at a higher risk (e.g. positive family history or African American race), decisions regarding prostate cancer should be individualized).” As a result, the CHAMPS foundation, highly recommends prostate cancer screening for men with these characteristics.

“Although men are living longer today than they did in the previous century, many are still dying prematurely from preventable and treatable illnesses at an average age six years earlier than women,” said Dr. Jean Bonhomme, president of the CHAMPS Board.

CHAMPS (Community Health and Men’s Promotion Summit) is an annual event, started over 20 years ago by James K. Bennett, MD, an Urologist, as a means of addressing the devastating mortality rate of men diagnosed with prostate cancer. This event is designed to raise awareness of the importance of early detection and prevention concerning health issues for men, especially prostate cancer. Although this event is open to the entire metropolitan community of Atlanta, it is designed to serve men ages 18 and older who are medically underserved and traditionally do not make health care a priority.

Prostate Cancer Screening will begin May 2013. For more information or to set up an appointment please contact Ms. Asare at 404-881-0966 ext. 117 and reference MUHEF Prostate Screening.