Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community

Plain English summary Black men are more likely to develop earlier and more serious diagnoses of prostate cancer compared to other men. Social and biological factors, such as lifestyle and ancestry, play a large role. Prostate cancer awareness and screening programs in areas with a large black popul...

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Main Authors: Tiiu Sildva, Earl Miller, Anthony Henry, Kenneth Noel, Sayeed Ahmed, Sunakshi Chowdhary, Mikaeel Ghany, Heidi Wagner, Yvonne Bombard, Neil Fleshner, Jessica Grace Cockburn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:Research Involvement and Engagement
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-025-00743-x
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author Tiiu Sildva
Earl Miller
Anthony Henry
Kenneth Noel
Sayeed Ahmed
Sunakshi Chowdhary
Mikaeel Ghany
Heidi Wagner
Yvonne Bombard
Neil Fleshner
Jessica Grace Cockburn
author_facet Tiiu Sildva
Earl Miller
Anthony Henry
Kenneth Noel
Sayeed Ahmed
Sunakshi Chowdhary
Mikaeel Ghany
Heidi Wagner
Yvonne Bombard
Neil Fleshner
Jessica Grace Cockburn
author_sort Tiiu Sildva
collection DOAJ
description Plain English summary Black men are more likely to develop earlier and more serious diagnoses of prostate cancer compared to other men. Social and biological factors, such as lifestyle and ancestry, play a large role. Prostate cancer awareness and screening programs in areas with a large black population are important to control risk. Toronto, Ontario has the biggest black community in Canada and is an important place to make sure these programs are effective. A group of community members (doctors, researchers, and patients) from Toronto have come together to learn more about the local community needs and ways to improve awareness and community-based screening. This was the first time team members have worked in this way. This group has selected key lessons from their experiences working together. This includes how to build strong relationships with the local community, the importance of challenging assumptions and unconscious bias, and ways to include people with lived experience (patient partners) in research. These lessons can be a guide for other teams new to health equity work. Through this work, the team as developed creative ways to increase representation in research and assess the needs of Black men in local Toronto communities. Most importantly, these lessons should encourage those hesitant to work in areas leading to advancements in health equity.
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spelling doaj-art-ade4a471a2124e7b8ae8f89bb44a7be62025-08-20T03:21:02ZengBMCResearch Involvement and Engagement2056-75292025-06-0111111110.1186/s40900-025-00743-xEngaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black communityTiiu Sildva0Earl Miller1Anthony Henry2Kenneth Noel3Sayeed Ahmed4Sunakshi Chowdhary5Mikaeel Ghany6Heidi Wagner7Yvonne Bombard8Neil Fleshner9Jessica Grace Cockburn10Department of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkPatient Partner, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkThe Walnut FoundationThe Walnut FoundationDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of TorontoDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health NetworkPlain English summary Black men are more likely to develop earlier and more serious diagnoses of prostate cancer compared to other men. Social and biological factors, such as lifestyle and ancestry, play a large role. Prostate cancer awareness and screening programs in areas with a large black population are important to control risk. Toronto, Ontario has the biggest black community in Canada and is an important place to make sure these programs are effective. A group of community members (doctors, researchers, and patients) from Toronto have come together to learn more about the local community needs and ways to improve awareness and community-based screening. This was the first time team members have worked in this way. This group has selected key lessons from their experiences working together. This includes how to build strong relationships with the local community, the importance of challenging assumptions and unconscious bias, and ways to include people with lived experience (patient partners) in research. These lessons can be a guide for other teams new to health equity work. Through this work, the team as developed creative ways to increase representation in research and assess the needs of Black men in local Toronto communities. Most importantly, these lessons should encourage those hesitant to work in areas leading to advancements in health equity.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-025-00743-xProstate cancerHealth equityGeneticsPreventionEarly detectionCommunity partners
spellingShingle Tiiu Sildva
Earl Miller
Anthony Henry
Kenneth Noel
Sayeed Ahmed
Sunakshi Chowdhary
Mikaeel Ghany
Heidi Wagner
Yvonne Bombard
Neil Fleshner
Jessica Grace Cockburn
Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
Research Involvement and Engagement
Prostate cancer
Health equity
Genetics
Prevention
Early detection
Community partners
title Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
title_full Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
title_fullStr Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
title_full_unstemmed Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
title_short Engaging for equity: Lessons from a cross-sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
title_sort engaging for equity lessons from a cross sector partnership addressing prostate cancer risk in the black community
topic Prostate cancer
Health equity
Genetics
Prevention
Early detection
Community partners
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-025-00743-x
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