Research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer is underway in many medical centers throughout the world. The American Cancer Society is currently funding 83 grants for prostate cancer research, totaling more than $45 million. Dr. Derek Griffith is one of the researchers in the Great Lakes Division who recently received funding.

Dr. Griffith has a background in psychology and is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, as well as the assistant director for research and research training for the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health and the associate director of evaluation for the Prevention Research Center of Michigan.

"Cancer research really gave me the opportunity to explore my larger interest in how social factors and our society differentially affect different groups," said Dr. Griffith. "Prostate cancer is an important issue for African American men and this grant really provides an opportunity to explore how being African American and being male influences the opportunity men have to be healthy."

With the grant, Dr. Griffith will study behavioral cancer risks in African American men and pilot test an intervention to help African American men eat healthier foods and exercise more. Diet and exercise are both factors that may affect prostate cancer risk.

"The grant is proposing to adapt the Body & Soul program that was developed for African American churches and see if we can develop that type of program in fraternities, lodges and other men’s organizations that have a large African American male population in them," explained Dr. Griffith. Body & Soul: A Celebration of Healthy Living is a collaborative program between the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute to promote nutrition in African American churches to help reduce cancer risk.

The project will be conducted in the Flint area and may expand to include Ypsilanti and Detroit. Dr. Griffith is also exploring the possibility of conducting a complimentary study that looks at regional differences in African American men’s diet and physical activity.

In addition to his research, Dr. Griffith also teaches courses on racial and ethnic health disparities at the University of Michigan and has been a featured speaker at area events to increase prostate cancer awareness in African American men. He encourages men to seek out the facts about the early detection and prevention of prostate cancer.

"I think it is important for men that they really get a good understanding of the issues themselves and try to find the medical information and sources of information like their physicians or other medical professionals that they can trust to really discuss and figure out what’s best for them in terms of screening."

For more information on the Society's research program and funding, visit www.cancer.org/research.

Pictured: Dr. Derek Griffith

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