health happening in Michigan


By Kimberly Hayes Taylor National Cancer Institute


research indicates Black men have a nearly 60 percent greater chance of dying from prostate cancer than a Cauca- sian counterpart, and a recent report published in the Jour- nal of the National Cancer In- stitute says uninsured Black women are more at risk of dying from breast cancer than uninsured White women.


For years, researchers have


been struggling to figure out why cancer inequities like these exist, the reasons why some people are more likely to get cancer or die from it.


Unlike other cancer re-


searchers at top comprehen- sive cancer centers around the nation, researchers at the Bar- bara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit are in a unique position to research cancer in African Americans because the population trusts the hospital enough to be treated there, and to partici- pate in clinical trials that help them unlock the cancer mys- tery.


For example, because of the


high numbers of Blacks who are treated at Karmanos, re- searchers have learned pros- tate cancer grows more rapidly and becomes more aggressive earlier in black men than it does in white men, accord- ing to a team lead by Dr. Isaac Powell, a member of the Geni- tourinary Oncology Multidis- ciplinary Team and professor in the Department of Urology at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine.


“Our patients are highly


sought after to participate in cancer studies, including a proposed study with George-


Dr. Issac Powell


town University and Massa- chusetts General Hospital, to look at the genes of families of men with prostate cancer,’’ Powell said. “We are contrib- uting the African American population for these genetic factors, and no other centers can do that because they don’t have the population we have. We are in a very unique situa- tion.”


So far, scientists know


people get cancer because of a combination of personal behaviors, societal factors, environmental exposure and inherited risk. They also re- alize genetic differences be- tween Blacks and other racial and ethnic groups may explain the higher death rates among Blacks for certain types of cancers. About 10 percent of cancer disparity research today is dedicated to genetics.


Powell has become highly


acclaimed for his research at Karmanos, which is focused on ethnic differences in the bi- ology and genetics of prostate cancer. A prostate cancer sur-


vivor himself, Powell believes cancer is a genetic disease, and genetic research is a key in finding a cancer cure.


He is studying the gene re-


sponsible for male hormone production and has identified a gene variant associated with aggressive prostate cancer. He also is studying environmen- tal factors that impact genes, such as diet and inflammation in correlation with clinical out- comes, and has received fund- ing to study Metabolic Syn- drome and prostate cancer.


Strongly convicted re-


searchers like Powell have forged the way for Karmanos to be one of the nation’s top cancer research centers. Kar- manos is designated by the National Cancer Institute as among the very best cancer centers in the United States. It is the preferred hospital for cancer care in southeast Michigan according to the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Cancer Treatment Preference Profile Surveys, conducted by the Na- tional Research Corporation.


From its inception, the in-


stitute was founded to battle cancer. Karmanos, named after Barbara Ann Karmanos in 1955, was formally founded in 1943 as the Detroit Insti- tute for Cancer Research, but its history dates back to the late 1800s when Harper Hos- pital, the institute’s inpatient facility, was built.


“We are now finding an-


swers as to why the frequency of the prostate cancer is more prevalent in African Ameri- cans,” Powell said. “ We soon will be able to block certain genes and pathways of certain cancers. If we can do that with prostate cancer, we will be able to do that with other can- cers, and that’s very exciting.”


Michigan earns ‘D’ on March of Dimes premature birth report card


For the third consecutive


year, Michigan earned a “D” from the March of Dimes for its preterm birth rate.


While our state did not im-


prove its preterm birth rate, a factor that can help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies did improve.


The March of Dimes re-


leased its 2010 report card on Nov. 17, the 8th Annual Prema- turity Awareness Day®, when the nation is asked to focus its attention on the serious problem of premature birth. In Michigan, 12.7 percent of babies were born too soon, before their lungs, brains or


other organs were fully devel- oped.


One factor that contributes


to preterm birth improved in Michigan.


For more information, visit


marchofdimes.com or nacer- sano.org.


Renown research is


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


November 23-30, 2010


Page C-5


Granholm appoints Chatman judge of 36th District Court


Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm


recently announced the ap- pointment of George Chatman as judge of the 36th District Court, which serves the city of Detroit, for a term expir- ing Jan. 1, 2013. He replaces the late Judge Beverly Hayes- Sipes.


Chatman, of Detroit, most


recently served as an attor- ney in private practice. He is a member of the UAW Legal Services Plan Cooperating At- torney Panel and a hearing of- ficer with the Administrative Hearing Bureau for the City of Inkster Building and Safety Department. He previously served in the U.S. Air Force and was selected as Lawyer of the Year by the Wolverine Bar Association.


Chatman earned his mas-


ter’s and law degrees from the University of Detroit and his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University. He is a grad- uate of Cass Technical High


JUDGE GEORGE CHATMAN with Gov. Jennifer Granholm.


School. This appointment is not


subject to disapproval by the Michigan Senate.


Protect elderly patients


By Greg Mathis An elderly person should


be able to spend time with their families and enjoy life in a way they couldn’t when they were younger and working full time. They certainly should not be worried whether or not the medical care they receive will, at best, cause an adverse reaction that was completely avoidable or, in a worst case scenario, kill them. Unfortu- nately, that is the reality for Medicare recipients around this country. In a recently re- leased study, it was reported that, in just one month, a projected 15,000 hospitalized Medicare patients died be- cause they received less than quality care.


Around 40 million Ameri-


cans receive Medicare, a fed- erally funded program that provides health insurance coverage to people aged 65 or over. The Department of Health and Human Servic- es Inspector General’s new report has revealed that there is an alarmingly high risk for medical malpractice within the program. According to the study, one in seven Medicare patients who are hospitalized are harmed by — and ulti- mately die because of — medi-


they receive will do more harm than good. Of course, there is also a societal cost: taxpayers spend more than $4 billion each year because additional treatments or longer hospital stays are needed to fix medical mistakes that should never have happened.


It is clear that there needs Judge Greg Mathis


cal treatment they receive. Common causes of these deaths include improper use of blood thinning medications, respiratory failure from over sedation or inadequate insu- lin management. Another one in seven patients experienced temporary harm, but the error was discovered in reversed just in time to save their lives.


There are no words to


convey how frightening this news is, not just for Medi- care recipients, but also for their families. When someone is hospitalized, they tend to focus on their recovery. With this news, patients and their families are left to question whether or not the treatment


to be federally funded look into the way hospitals perceive and care for Medicare patients. Their safety measures need to be examined and, when neces- sary, changed immediately.


Unbelievably, Congress is


considering cuts to the Medi- care, so such an investigation is unlikely. And, with fewer dollars to provide services, more preventable deaths are to be expected.


The elderly are among the


most vulnerable members of our society and, as a collec- tive, we should work to keep them safe from harm. Call or write your elected officials and demand that they not only vote to keep Medicare fund- ing intact, but also ask that they earmark additional funds to ensure that, when they are hospitalized, our elderly receive quality treatment at quality hospitals.


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