Saving Lives

The Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Screening Unit

By Jean Nash Wells

As men age, the cells in the prostate gland can become cancerous. Every year in the United States, more than 30,000 men die from prostate cancer, second only to skin cancer. About one in eight men in America will develop the condition at some point in their lives, and about one in 40 will die from it. Age is the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer. While only one in 10,000 men under age 40 will be diagnosed, that number leaps to one in 14 for those ages 60 to 69. About 60 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65, and 97 percent occur in men 50 years of age and older.

All of these facts are reasons for concern, but Black men must be particularly vigilant. Black men have a 70 percent higher rate of developing high-risk prostate cancer, and are more than twice as likely to die from it. Prostate cancer usually has no noticeable symptoms. The first sign of disease is often found during a routine screening exam. This is why screening is important.

But there is good news; with early detection, prostate cancer can be treated successfully and thanks to billionaire businessman and philanthropist Robert F. Smith, the lives of more Black men in New York City can be saved. The Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit, a state-of-the-art mobile facility equipped with advanced scanning and trained staff, enables early detection of prostate cancer for at-risk Black men. The mobile unit made possible by a generous donation from Smith, brings imaging equipment and specialized staff directly to the communities that need them most.

The mobile unit began as a vision of Mt. Sinai’s Dr. Ash Tewari, director of the Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer. Tewari wrote about his research and experience with patients to billionaire Robert F. Smith, entrepreneur (Vista Equity Partners) and philanthropist (Fund II Foundation). You may recall Smith personally paid the student debt of the entire Morehouse graduating class of 2019.

Tewari explained. “My intent has always been to make a dent in the prostate cancer mortality in Black Men. I knew Robert Smith was equally passionate about health of the Black community and knew he would understand the importance of this effort. Thankfully, he said yes. I received an immediate response from him. We are very grateful for his support and partnership because we know this effort will save lives.”

Smith told us his reasons for the Yes. “Prostate cancer is particularly personal to me. I have lost multiple family members from both my mother and my father’s side to this disease, and have had even more friends and family battle and survive this disease. For those who have survived, early detection was the crucial component. That reminder has served as the inspiration and motivation behind these efforts.”

He continued: This bus and the resources it will bring to the community are an extension of the groundwork we have been laying with the Prostate Cancer Foundation for years now to advance prostate cancer research specifically related to African American men and close the massive racial gap that exists in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Together, these initiatives will pave the way for more men to get tested and limit their odds of developing highrisk prostate cancer.”

Reaching an At-Risk Population

Tewari and Smith are committed to preventing prostate cancer and lowering prostate cancer deaths by 25 percent among Black males in the areas immediately surrounding The Mount Sinai Hospital. The Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Unit takes diagnostic teams and tools directly to neighborhoods—Central, Eastern, and West Harlem; the Upper East Side; and Queens. In these areas, Mount Sinai experts expect that more than 13 percent of Black men between the ages 45 to 79 will have prostate cancer, and more than 1 percent of them die. Through the hard work and beneficence of two men, the potential ls that the lives of nearly 1,000 fathers, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, and sons may be saved by routine screenings.

That’s positive change.

Activist Viola Plummer dies at age 86

Activist and Chairperson of the December 12th Movement Viola Plummer has died. Her passing was announced on Monday. She was...
Read More

 Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Art Collection at Brooklyn Museum

Call it an embarrassment of riches: The musician Alicia Keys and her husband Kasseem Dean, the producer and D.J. known...
Read More

20-Bed Transitional Housing ‘Village’ Opens in Newark

Officials Say Hope Village II Improves on First Container Community A 20-bed “bridge housing community” is open for people in...
Read More

The 38th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

BAM honors Dr. King’s radical spirit at this beloved Brooklyn tradition, which rings in a new year with musical performances...
Read More

Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore Installed

The Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Greater NY & Vicinity installed Rev. Dr. James A. Kilgore as the new president of...
Read More

Hal Jackson Hal Jackson’s Talented Teens Fundraiser

Folks who lived in the NYC area during the 80’s & 90’s remember Hal Jackson’s Sunday Classics heard on then Black-owned WBLS-FM. Many of us looked forward to hearing classic...
Read More

Harlem EatUp! Luminary Awards Tamron Hall and D-Nice Honored

Titled “Harlem EatUp!,” the Luminary Awards Dinner truly lived up to its name. At the renowned Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem, guests dined on an array of culinary delights. Launched in...
Read More

East Orange Breaks Ground on Renovations to Historic Oval Park

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and the Departments of Public Works and Recreation & Cultural Affairs officially broke ground on renovations to Oval Park, a historic...
Read More

A Private Experience: a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chika climbs in through the store window first and then holds the shutter as the woman climbs in after her. The store looks as if it was deserted long before...
Read More

Essex County College’s Grand Opening of West Essex Campus

Essex County College’s West Essex campus wrote a new chapter in its 55 years of service to the community when it held a...

East Orange Student Entrepreneurs Receive Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Host Pop-Up Shop at the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 25th Anniversary Tour In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a group of budding...

Welcome Back to School RCCS!

On August 28, Roseville Community Charter School opened its doors to welcome parents and scholars to visit their new classrooms...

East Orange “Back-to-School Welcome Walk”

Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council, and staff from various municipal departments participated in the city’s annual...

Berkeley College Announces Opportunity Grant

Qualified New Jersey residents can enroll in a fulltime Associate’s degree program without incurring any loans for tuition and fees...

Roseville Community Charter School Honored

Roseville Community Charter School was honored to welcome as a special guest, Dr. Christopher Irving, NJ Department of Education Assistant...

Should You Focus On Exercise When You Want to Lose Weight?

Exercise may not be the best way to lose weight. A quick Google search on...

Holy Name Announces New Leadership Appointments

Holy Name, the region’s leading independent health system, appointed Cynthia Ziegler as Vice President of...

You Can Live Well

As a fitness expert, I often encourage clients to care for themselves first. It seems...

Season’s Greetings

Stay Safe and Enjoy this Wonderful Time of the Year The upcoming holiday season is...

Powerful Stories of Breast Cancer Survivors

WORLD’s Stories from the Stage: The Podcast Kicks Off New Season Stories from the Stage: The...

They are Fit to be First Responders

By Barry Carter In a spirited competition among first responders, Newark and Essex County police...

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency Celebrates 40 Years of Service

On January 17, 2024, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) celebrates its...

Consider it Pure Joy | Jennifer Jones Austin

When Jennifer Jones Austin, wife, mother, lawyer and child advocate, and the picture of good...

NJHMFA Board Meeting Delivers Key Housing Policy Advancements in Tax Credits and Multifamily Programs

 New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) approved two new programs, the Urban Preservation...

Chase Community Manager Shares Five Key Financial Literacy Tips

Financial health is an important foundation that helps build strong and resilient households, communities and...

Fresh Financial Start: How to Begin the New Year on a High Note

We’re ringing in a new year, and that means a fresh start for your finances!...

Hope for the Holiday Season and Beyond

As the end of 2023 draws near, some of us may be feeling our holiday...