Merriweather, AJ

Abstract In the US and globally, Black men experience the highest prostate cancer burden among all racial and ethnic groups, underscoring the urgent need for research to guide the development and implementation of culturally tailored strategies aimed at reducing disparities and improving outcomes. In response, the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) Consortium was created to advance health equity and reduce disparities in prostate cancer. Importantly, a Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) is recommended to educate and empower patients, enabling them to be better informed about their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care recommendations. To date, there is no SCP targeted to Black prostate cancer survivors (CaPS) who have the greatest disparities with the poorest survivorship outcomes (ACS F&F; AACR HD Report; Fullwood, 2024). Therefore, we aimed to develop a SCP tailored for Black men. Addressing the unique needs of Black men require a genuine bidirectional relationship between scientist and the community rooted in community engaged research (CER). The SCP was first informed by the literature (Bonner, 2024) and the ASCO template (canceradvocacy.org). With input from the iCCaRE leadership and the Partnership Engagement Services (PES) Core, the Whole Person SCP better responds to the informational, clinical and quality of life needs of Black Prostate Cancer survivors. Based on CER, we included 22 diverse, Black CaPs to further guide and tailor the iCCaRE. Our findings indicate that the iCCaRE Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) enhanced the ASCO template by incorporating and expanding several unique domains, including family history, care team contacts, follow-up and surveillance, symptoms, quality of life, survivor concerns, major comorbidities, health advisories, and culturally relevant resources, creating a comprehensive, whole-person SCP tailored specifically for Black men. It is crucial to continue to improve support for clinical research and advocate for Black men and their communities to reduce prostate cancer burden. Prostate cancer also needs to include incidence, mortality, and disparities for Black men to raise awareness of scarcely studied field of Black men and prostate cancer survivorship. Citation Format: Kimlin Tam Ashing, Timethia Bonner, Ewan K. Cobran, Folakemi Odedina, Aj Merriweather, Ernie Kaninjing, Floyd Willis, Cassandra Moore, Joanne Oliver, Fornati Bedell, John McCall. Advancing health equity and reducing disparities in prostate cancer in Black men: iCCaRE [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 994.

Abstract The day I received news of my prostate cancer diagnosis time paused for a minute. My heart was heavy, and my mind racing and my soul appeared to leave my body as the physician kept talking. I’m looking at this doctor and having internal conversations with myself about dying. My attention switched from listening to reflecting to Fred Sanford holding his heart and saying “Elizabeth, I am coming to join you”, but my wife was right next to me holding my hand. The embrace of our interlocked fingers without saying a word to one another assured both of us this too shall pass. My knowing I had support encouraged me to begin educating myself about the science of survivorship. The presence of prostate cancer resources was absent in my community. I began reading information online to grasp a better understanding of this disease. The information gained encouraged me to request a second opinion from another oncologist. I was amaze by the difference in opinion about treatment options. I felt the urge to identify and specifically speak with other Black men going through this process. Everywhere I looked for support groups felt like removing my hands from pocket and watching lent flee from my fingers. What did I do? I registered my own prostate cancer support group with the state of Florida. The group grew from a few to 20 Black men across major metropolitan cities in Florida. These group meetings extended to men leading groups in their communities. I joined the Prostate Health Education Network as the Regional Ambassador to promote prostate awareness and clinical trials. My advocacy presence in the state of Florida led to Dr. Odedina and I crossing paths to champion elimination of prostate cancer health disparities for Black men. I am a Citizen Scientist in the lab of Dr. Odedina working on the inclusive cancer care and research equity for Black men consortium. I have co-authored publications, co-presented at conferences, served on research projects, and contributed to grant funding totaling over $25 million as a citizen scientist. Currently working on a Department of Defense funded grant focusing on the point of prostate cancer diagnosis. The project has completed several events to dispel myths about participation in clinical research while discussions about early detection is vital to improve survivorship. The reward from this work is knowing I am helping create spaces for Black men never to travel this journey alone. I believe men appreciate having a patient supporter but require fellowship with men who have traveled the road to gain navigational insights on how to maneuver across this terrain. Citation Format: AJ Merriweather, Dottington Fullwood, Che Ngufor, Jennifer Crook, Emelina Asto-Flores, Parisa Fathi, Roxana Dronca, Shannon Pressey, Folakemi Odedina. Early detection saves lives: I survived, and you can too— Any day above ground is a good day [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 727.

Abstract Background: Black men continue to be disproportionately affected by prostate cancer incidence and mortality as compared to their White counterparts, despite worldwide declining prostate cancer diagnosis rates. This complex phenomenon remains poorly understood, especially at the point of a prostate cancer diagnosis. Newly diagnosed Black men report initial feelings ranging from being “shocked,” to “receiving a death sentence,” and both an ineptness of asking questions and a reliance on physicians for treatment options due to lack of knowledge. The psychological distress from prostate cancer uncertainties affects health management and treatment decisions, though it is unclear to what extent the role of social determinants of health factor in making informed healthcare decisions. Aim: In this scoping review, we examined the influence of the social determinants of health at point of prostate cancer diagnosis among Black men seeking to make an informed decision about their treatment plans. Methods: We followed the methodological framework: the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Five electronic databases, Emabase, Pubmed, PsycInfo, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for quantitative and qualitative primary studies from the period 2005 until March 2022. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts, and full texts, against predefined criteria: empirical research, post 2000, in English-language peer-reviewed journals; participants included Black prostate cancer survivors and research explored social determinants of health at point of prostate cancer diagnosis. Studies were quality assessed for data charting. Results: The search yielded 283 studies, with 45 included studies for synthesis. Traditional social determinants of health were frequent. However, identification of themes such as social support, masculinity and stigma, fear of abandonment by medical staff, and cost of diagnostic procedures were prominent determinants. Notably, sub-themes emerged that included coping factors such as emotional distress, perceptions of normalcy, and poor prostate cancer knowledge. Conclusion: Understanding the social determinants of health impact on Black men, especially at point of prostate cancer diagnosis will allow survivors, physicians, and researchers to work at solving these health disparities. Citation Format: Dottington Fullwood, AJ Merriweather, Che Ngufor, Deidre Pereira, KC Balaji, Roxana Dronca, Gerardo Colon-Otero, Jennifer Crook, Parisa Fathi, Emelina Asto-Flores, Shannon Pressey, Folakemi Odedina. iCCaRe: Social determinants of health navigation, psycho-oncology, and emotional support for Black prostate cancer survivors: Review of current practices. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4371.