jmccann@heraldsun.com; 419-6601
DURHAM -- Ding, ding, ding!
Ladies and gentlemen, in this corner, standing 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with a blood pressure of 136/70 -- Jim Black!
"I value my health," Black said.
But he's disappointed that other black men don't seem to care much about theirs.
"We make a lot of excuses," Black said. "It bothers me to watch us just drift away with no concern for our health."
Black was one of those men over the weekend who showed up at Lincoln Community Health Center and the Morris Cancer Clinic for free prostate-cancer screenings sponsored by the Duke Prostate Center.
"Look, I've been doing that, hey, maybe five or six years," Black said.
As politicians hash it out over health care, one of the rumors has to do with so-called death panels wherein old people would get kicked to the curb on grounds that their lives are about over and not worth the investment.
But no such thing at the Bull City prostate-cancer clinics. Older gentlemen like Black, 68, were welcome.
Those between the ages of 40 and 75 were encouraged to show up at the local clinics and have health professionals probe their prostate glands. Four percent of those screened ultimately will learn they have prostate cancer, said urologic surgeon Cary Robertson, who is also an associate professor in the division of urology at Duke University Medical Center.
For men older than 75, the prostate cancer that shows up in them often is a lower grade of the disease, Robertson said. But for the 15 percent who have a more aggressive form of prostate cancer, getting screened and diagnosed offers the opportunity for the necessary surgery that could lead to a better quality of life, although not necessarily a longer life, Robertson explained.
A painful experience
Durham resident Richard Jones doesn't want anything to do with prostate-cancer screenings. The 74-year-old had two biopsies on his prostate gland.
"And they are painful," he insisted.
At first Jones was game, getting a prostate-specific antigen test to see if the blood reading warranted any concern. He said his PSA level was 4, and his health professional advised him to get a biopsy on his prostate gland. Jones did, and he was cancer-free.
So trying to be a good steward of his health, Jones later got another PSA test. The level was 7 that time.
"And they were just convinced that cancer was present," said Jones, who endured another biopsy. "Now, if you want to know something that's painful, get 10 shots in your prostate."
Yet still no cancer, Jones said.
Jones said he's all for awareness about prostate cancer, but he contends the PSA test isn't the best indicator of the disease. All it did for him was cause a bunch of unnecessary pain and suffering, Jones explained.
The urologist appreciates the point.
"True, we would love to have a better test. There is active research on that," Robertson said. But it's wise to err on the side of caution, he said. Working toward health
While Jones grimaces at the thought of prostate-cancer screenings, Black's glad to get them. The exams are just one part of his healthy protocol.
"Look, I am on the track most mornings between the hours of 4:30 to 6:30," said Black, who does a combination of swift walking and running. He's got a message for black men: "Tell them to get serious about their health."
Black said a guy asked him how he's able to keep his weight down. So he told the man about his exercise routine. The guy just shook his head, Black said.
"He don't want to put in the work," Black said.
