Barbershop Talks Cut Black Men's Prostate Cancer Risk

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A survey has been designed to assess how these barbershops influence knowledge and behavior about prostate cancer, Simons said.

"But from anecdotal reports we know we are making a difference," he said. "More and more barbers are asking about it on their own, and also more academic centers are using barbershops to provide information."

Using the local stylist as a vehicle to spread health messages to minority clients isn't unique to Prostate Net. In fact, U.S. researchers reporting in February at an international stroke conference found that urban beauty shops were ideal places to help black women learn about stroke's warning signs, as well as how to prevent the lethal attacks.

But another study, also presented at this week's meeting in Atlanta, suggests that the neighborhood pharmacist may not always be a reliable source of prostate cancer information.

In the study, researchers led by Helene Vilme, of Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, asked 89 Florida pharmacists whether they were willing and able to counsel customers on preventing prostate cancer and watching for the warning signs.

Most said they would gladly join in the education effort, but their "score on the general prostate cancer knowledge scale for patients was lower that expected for health-care professionals," the researchers note. They advocate research into better educating pharmacists on prostate cancer.

The Atlanta prostate cancer meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, which might seem an unlikely sponsor of cancer research. In fact, the DOD's Prostate Cancer Research Program is the second leading source of funding for prostate cancer research, just behind the U.S. National Cancer Institute, said Col. Janet Harris, director of the program. The money comes from funds earmarked for specific purposes by Congressional budget makers.

One effort funded by the program involves 11 academic institutions in a study to determine the exact reasons why prostate cancer incidence and mortality is higher among black Americans, Harris said. A preliminary report on that study is scheduled for this meeting.

More information

For more on prostate cancer, head to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.