ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. - Men packed a community room in a Rushmere-area church on Saturday to learn about prostate cancer before getting screened.
It was the second early detection event held by the Hampton Roads Prostate Health Forum this month.
Forum founding member Charlie Hill spoke inside First Gravel Baptist Church about his experience with prostate cancer, the importance of screenings and treatment options. The men in attendance then had the option to be screened by Riverside Cancer Center workers on site.
The event offered blood draws needed for a PSA screening and digital rectal exams (DREs).
Many in the audience were Black men, who Hill says often have worse outcomes than their white counterparts in being diagnosed with and treated for prostate cancer.
After holding a similar event in Gloucester last week, Hill told News 3 he wanted to visit Western Tidewater because of its "awful" numbers of men — Black men, in particular — who are dying of the disease.
“This is important because we can do something about it and my team, (we are) very excited about the opportunity to make a positive difference," Hill said. "(It's) very treatable if you detect it earlier and that's what people need to know."
Hill is working with News 3 anchor Kurt Williams, who is documenting his own treatment for prostate cancer. He says people speaking out about their experiences is key in getting others to get screened.
One woman at the event said she came from Portsmouth because her husband had attended a previous event and learned about his own prostate cancer there.
The Hampton Roads Prostate Health Forum says it's planning another detection event in Williamsburg in the near-future.
