Cancer Screening for Blacks in Tuscaloosa

The nationwide Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial will be explained to African Americans in the Tuscaloosa-area on March 5 at 2 pm at Focus on Senior Citizens, 1920 6th St. People volunteering for PLCO may receive cancer screening tests at no charge, and also help guarantee that the federal health-care policy is suitable for all races. The study seeks people ages 55 to 74 who are not currently being treated for any cancer and have never had the targeted four cancers.

Participants will help determine whether these tests can reduce cancer death rates, and will help ensure that national guidelines for screenings can be applied to African Americans as well as other races. African Americans are at higher risk of dying of prostate and some other cancers.

Of the 5,000 Alabamians initially recruited into the PLCO program at UAB, almost 20% are African-American. Alfred Adams, MD, an African-American and UAB preventive medicine specialist, said, “Nationally, only about 4% of the 150,000 participants are black, so the National Cancer Institute asked us to recruit another 1,000 African-American participants into the study to help make sure the results will be applicable to all races.”

Half the PLCO volunteers, randomly selected, will have limited participation with no screening tests, while the participants will be more thoroughly examined with blood tests, chest x-rays, sigmoidoscopy of the colon, and ultrasound exams. All patients will be followed for 14 years to determine whether the screening tests enhance length of life.

To determine eligibility for the program being offered through UAB, African Americans may call toll-free 1-888-430-7526. Eligible persons will be scheduled to begin their PLCO participation March 22 or April 3.