IMPaCT Plenary Session: Game-Changing Research Video (Text Version) - Introduction

Westley Sholes, M.P.A.; California Prostate Cancer Coalition
Good morning; you guys ready to get started? Good morning and welcome again. Westley Sholes, Consumer Advocate on the Integration Panel.

My task this morning is to introduce the person for the moment of silence and reflecting on that I was thinking about 20–25 years ago I made an observation that many of the problems I encountered in life ultimately turned out to be an opportunity in disguise. And my rendezvous with prostate cancer fit that—that definition and the silver lining for me is the huge number of outstanding people that I have come to know as a result of my advocacy in this area, and many of whom are with the Integration Panel and all the people I’ve encountered.

Key amongst those individuals is the person I’d like to introduce this morning, Mr. Egbert Brown. Bert is a 14-year prostate cancer survivor. He resides in Dublin, Ohio. He’s with the Central Ohio Men Against Prostate Cancer. He’s a member of the Board of Directors and serves as Secretary and Governance and Operations Chairperson. He’s the owner and president of Egbert Brown & Associates Management Consultants. For the last 3 years he has done peer review for the PCRP.

Bert is also a newly appointed advocate participant in the Scientific Survivor Program of the American Association for Cancer Research and he’s been an American Cancer Society Man-to-Man Program facilitator. I’ve enjoyed my rendezvous with Bert and it gives me great pleasure, and please join me in giving Bert Brown a warm welcome.

Egbert Brown, Central Ohio Men Against Prostate Cancer
Thank you Wes for those very kind words. In preparing the logistics for this morning, I forgot to locate where the stairway was, so I wasn’t quite sure and fortunately I guessed correctly.

Scientists, clinicians, and fellow advocates, I’m honored to have this opportunity to lead this moment of silence as we gather together to discuss and develop plans to move forward in the fight against prostate cancer.

In September 1997 at the age of 59 while living in New Jersey, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. But like so many men, I ignored various medical symptoms for several months until one not so delightful day I found myself in the Emergency Room at Holy Name Hospital. There was no excuse for that for me since my father was a doctor and my brother was a doctor—so stupidity has no bounds when it comes to background.

A kidney ailment led to surgery and subsequently to a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Those were certainly not days I would like to relive, and after surgery I settled back into my normal routine as an anonymous survivor. I shared my situation only with my closest friends. Several years later in 2003, I moved to Ohio. And after a visit to my oncologist, Dr. William Hicks at the Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital, there were results revealed, troubling indicators such as a rising PSA, high blood protein, negative scan results led to the determination that I needed radiation therapy, actually at that point after preparing myself to die sooner rather than later.

Fortunately the treatments were successful. Then a chance encounter with two colleagues that I had known 20 years prior convinced me to break my silence and to start down the path of prostate cancer advocacy and outreach. My colleagues invited me to join them in efforts to start a Prostate Cancer Outreach Organization, not only to raise awareness but also to raise much needed funds for free prostate cancer screening and education.

I was elected to the Board of Directors of this new organization, Central Ohio Men Against Prostate Cancer. But with this new role came some responsibility and I was anxious to learn all I could about a disease that disproportionately affects so many black men, but it also affected several of my friends who were Caucasian and who were victims of the disease prior to age 50.

I felt a need to reach out further, so in 2008 I applied for and received a scholarship to attend an African American Prostate Cancer Advocates Leadership Conference at Clark University, Clark Atlanta University. This provided me with an opportunity to meet other prostate cancer advocates. In fact, I see two or three of the gentlemen who led that conference in the audience today, Dr. Khan, I believe is here, Jim Williams is here, and Bob Samuels, who came up with the idea.

This experience helped me to start to envision how I might further contribute to the fight against prostate cancer. And then later in 2008, I was given the opportunity to participate as a reviewer for the Prostate Cancer Research Program. That opened up a whole new world for me. At these meetings I obviously met some of the scientists and clinicians who worked very hard to make new discoveries and to translate those discoveries into clinical applications.

I was impressed and pleased with their patience and willingness to listen to the survivor’s point of view. Equally I was anxious to support them as they worked to gain further insight into the struggle consumers and families face with prostate cancer.

Of course I know the impact of prostate cancer but not just through statistics, but through my experience and the personal experience of close friends who have died, friends who are suffering, and friends who have to endure the treatment complications that have led to poor quality of life.

Of my 12 regular golfing buddies and we did not meet because of prostate cancer we met because of a love for golf, and eventually we discovered from each other that several of us were survivors. Of those 12 regular golfing buddies, four of us are prostate cancer survivors. That is one in three in our small statistical base. The photograph you see contains three of my golfing buddies and another survivor friend. Together our survivorships range from 3 to 17 years. We are among the fortunate ones who have received successful treatment and are fortunate to have some quality of life, which is the goal of all prostate cancer patients. But so many are not as fortunate and that is what brings us here together today.

The slides you see are a reminder to all of us of our overarching challenges and priorities for conquering this disease. Of course as you know, over 32,000 men will die from the disease this year. But each of us has their own reasons for being here and for being warriors in the fight. I personally have developed a much greater understanding of the importance of stepping up to the plate as a survivor and as an advocate. And I personally am in this for as long as I’m able. The men who have died, those who are suffering, and those who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer are our brothers, fathers, grandfathers, sons, husbands, friends, et al.

So let us all consumers, scientists, clinicians, continue to partner together and bring all of our resources and efforts to bear on this disease. Could it be that history will say the idea for the cure was born at today’s meeting, the 2011 IMPaCT Cures Meeting? Keeping all of that in mind, let’s take time to reflect not only on our role and purpose for being here, but also on those who have lost the battle against prostate cancer, those who continue to suffer from the disease, and also celebrate the lives of those who have been treated successfully.

In our moment of silence, let us reflect on all of that and on our vision to conquer prostate cancer by funding research that will eliminate death and suffering from prostate cancer. So please join me in a moment of silence. Thank you.

Natasha Kyprianou

Thank you, Mr. Brown