100 Black Men of Jacksonville Spearhead Men Tackling the Big C Prostate Cancer Support Group

The 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. (J100) announce the Men Tackling the Big C Prostate Cancer Support Group (MTBC) initiative. The initiative is an effort to provide support, awareness and collaboration of resources related to prostate cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The J100 will host MTBC Support Group meetings beginning November 24, 2015, 6:00 p.m. at the Jacksonville Urban League, 903 West Union Street. The meetings will continue the fourth Tuesday of each month at the same location.

“Unfortunately, there is a disparity in prostate cancer rates among black and white men,” said Charles Griggs, president of the 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. “We are very excited about this opportunity for men to share and build a community around prostate cancer awareness, research and policy.”

The MTBC Support Group initiative is a collaboration with the Black Male Prostate Cancer Coalition (BMPCC). The BMPCC is a collaboration of advocates and supporters working to inform men, their families and stakeholders on the benefits of screening, educational materials, support groups, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.

“As a prostate cancer survivor, the meetings provide an opportunity for me to share my experience with other men so they will know more about prostate cancer,” said BMPCC member A.J. Merriweather. “By spreading the word about prostate cancer, more men will have the best information available for their personal situation.”

A recent study published in the JAMA Oncology highlighted data that says black men with prostate cancer seem more likely to receive poorer quality of care that costs more compared to white men. This and other disparities related to prostate cancer make it necessary for the J100 MTBC to concentrate on support group efforts.

The focus of MTBC meetings will be to provide an agenda-based approach to dealing with issues related to improving prostate cancer outcomes and post treatment quality of life. Meetings will feature urologists, oncologists, prostate cancer survivors and other subject matter experts.

The J100 MTBC Prostate Cancer Support Group is the most recent program in the organization’s effort to draw attention to men’s health disparities. The J100 previously implemented a prostate cancer screening, awareness and education campaign effort in 2009. In 2011, the success of the program earned the J100 “Chapter of the Year for Health and Wellness” from the 100 Black Men of America.

The 100 Black Men of Jacksonville, Inc. is an affiliated chapter of the 100 Black Men of America. The mission of the J100 is to serve as accessible and committed leaders for positive change by developing and implementing responsible solutions to issues facing the African American community. The J100 areas of focus are mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic empowerment.

For more information on the J100 MTBC Prostate Cancer Support Group, contact Donald Mitchell at 904-716-0167.

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