Learn about prevention, early detection, and treatment options to fight cancer effectively in underserved communities.
I was recently informed of the passing away of a young fraternity brother from Colorectal Cancer. I don't know details but I am saddened because most of the time these deaths can be prevented yet it is consistent with what medical research is telling about the...
The bucket list is a collection of things that you would like to accomplish within your lifetime. Frankly, I never thought of a bucket list until the death of my youngest daughter, Tonisha Bell Alston. She decided to take matters into her own hands and...
Several days ago, I discovered one of my patients has continued to smoke in spite of information from me regarding the pitfalls. He came to the office after smoking several cigarettes which caused an elevated blood pressure and required a return visit the next...
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of men about prostate cancer. I was told, prior to the lecture, my audience would be primarily black men, but to my surprise, it was comprised of white men. As the lecture proceeded, a white gentleman asked...
Prostate cancer is the second, most common cancer that African American men can experience in their lifetime. The exact cause is not known, but risk factors are well documented and a major one is family history. It is imperative for all black men to determine...
Men do not often discuss this type of cancer which commonly occurs between the ages of 15 and 45. It usually appears in the testicles as a painless lump or mass and requires immediate medical attention and evaluation. Please do not wait until the mass becomes...
Most people immediately assume the worse and can become discouraged before receiving all the facts when diagnosed with cancer. Family members often do not provide encouragement to those members who have been given a diagnosis. I have been told by my patients...
We are now recognizing that everybody can’t handle bad health news. New studies suggest a diagnosis of any kind of cancer is a certain signal for suicide in some patients. When patients lack poor supports, get bad information from...
There have been many discussions about prostate and breast cancer, but lung cancer, which is the number one cause of death in the United States, seems to have been forgotten. It kills more African American men than women even though...
I have been a student of science and health care professional for the majority of my life. One phenomenon that perplexes me and continues to be obvious among African Americans is the unwillingness, and maybe, the inability to change...
I have practiced medicine for many years and have become somewhat enlightened about health disparities that affect African Americans and the underserved. It is apparent to me and others, who have studied health disparities, that some of the guidelines regarding cancer...
Obesity, a major medical issue, not often discussed, is prevalent in the African American community and I hesitate to discuss the disease because it can be a touchy subject. Recent medical research reveals that people who are obese are likely to develop heart failure,...