- The Prostate Health Education Network, Inc. (PHEN) will host its fourth annual “African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit” in Washington, DC on September 25 – 26, 2008. “Since our very first summit in 2005, this event has proven highly effective in bringing together members of congress, medical and research specialists, survivors and members of industry to address one of the biggest health crisis in Black America,” states PHEN president Thomas Farrington. African American men die at a rate of 2.4 times that of all other men from prostate cancer. This is the largest racial disparity for any type of cancer.
Because of the overwhelming success of the annual PHEN summits on Capitol Hill, the 2008 Summit will be held in conjunction with the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). The summit program on Thursday, September 25th will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building; Friday’s, September 26th, program will be held at the Washington Convention Center as one of the ALC “Issue Forums.”
Speakers on Thursday will include Tavis Smiley, US Senator John Kerry, US Congressman Gregory Meeks, President of the American Association of Cancer Institutes, Dr. Edward Benz, former major league star and prostate cancer survivor, Ken Griffey, Sr., and many others.
The Friday program will use a “Town Hall Meeting” format to outline an “action blueprint” to properly address the prostate cancer crisis in Black America. This blueprint will be presented to the incoming Administration in 2009. Panelists will include well recognized leaders in the war on prostate cancer. The health policy advisers for both Senators Obama and McCain have been invited.
Both days of the summit will be exciting and educational. All of the sessions will include outstanding speakers with presentations on topics with the potential to impact on reducing the prostate cancer crisis. Attendees will also have ample opportunities to participate and network with others.
