NORFOLK, Va. — A conversation that could save your life. That's the headline for a summit this Sunday in Norfolk, featuring prostate cancer survivors, like myself and the screening of a film tackling this topic head on.
The name of the docu-drama is The Black Walnut and explores the realities of prostate cancer through the experiences of real men affected by the disease. Director and summit organizer Terrance Afer-Anderson, himself a prostate cancer survivor, said authenticity was essential to the film.
“I brought in nine actual prostate cancer survivors, and most of them are telling their own stories in the film,” Afer-Anderson said.
Several of those men have since passed away. According to Afer-Anderson, four of the survivors featured in the project later lost their lives to the disease.
One of them was the uncle of Dr. Dee Polite, a singer and health advocate who will perform at Sunday's summit.
“I’m singing a tribute song in honor of my uncle, who had a strong fight in prostate cancer,” Polite said. “We lost him two years ago.”
Focus on Early Detection
Afer-Anderson believes late diagnoses are one of the biggest reasons prostate cancer remains deadly for many men.
“I think the principal reason is that a lot of men, when they’re diagnosed, they’re diagnosed late,” he said.
The summit will place special emphasis on reaching African American men, who face higher rates of prostate cancer than any other group in the United States.
Afer-Anderson said his own family’s experience highlighted the importance of screening. It really hit home when he was diagnosed in 2009, "I learned that neither one of my two brothers had ever been screened for prostate cancer, so they both were, of course, and my elder brother was diagnosed right after his screening at a later stage than I. My younger brother is cool, but after my elder brother was diagnosed. Then a few years later, his son was diagnosed."
Breaking Down Barriers to Screening
One reason some men avoid screening, Afer-Anderson said, is concern about the digital rectal exam, or DRE.
“I think that the DRE, the digital rectal exam, is a challenge for a lot of men,” he said.
After-Anderson believes some physicians have moved toward relying primarily on PSA blood tests because of that reluctance. However, he cautioned that physical exams can still play a critical role.
“The tactile examination can tell if there’s any abnormality in the gland,” he said.
A Message for Families
Polite believes women should play a key role in encouraging the men in their lives to prioritize preventive health care.
“I have a husband, I have a brother and I have a son, so it’s very important and near and dear to me that we get the word out for everybody to get checked up,” Polite said.
She recalled one of her uncle’s favorite sayings: “Get checked up so that you don’t check out.”
That will be at the heart of my message Sunday, encouraging men to get screened consistently, especially if they're in high-risk groups.
That summit is this Sunday 2pm at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk. More information is included below in the event's flyer:
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