I'm here with Courtney Buechler. She is the CEO, so we've got the top person- -in charge here with us this evening. So thank you for having this wonderful event. Oh, thank you for being here. The panel was fantastic. Yeah, it was so great. I mean, Montel Jordan, we had former NFL players, Falcons, which is dear to my heart since I'm a season ticket holder. Mm-hmm. Rise up. You know it! Ernie Johnson is It, it was i- almost iconic seeing him. Yeah. That is- So great. It is fantastic. So thank you all. Thank you for putting this together, and let's talk about the why. Sure.

We talked about the what. What's the why? Well, for me, personally, I'm a 20-year breast cancer survivor. Yeah. And, I tell the story a lot that, my dad stood by me- Mm-hmm ... through years and years of my own treatment and survivorship. And, my dad is living with early-stage prostate cancer. Okay. And so when the opportunity came to join Zero, which I joined about two years ago, I was, I was brought here by the board to specifically kind of bring the awareness that every- You know, everybody knows- Mm-hmm ... that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Right. But most people don't know that September is- ...

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. And so for me, it's a really personal- Yeah ... call to action. it's something I do for my dad. Right. But it's also something where when you get in into this space, and you understand that, prostate cancer is sort of a vehicle for having a conversation about men's health- Yeah, yeah ...

is so important, and, and it's an opportunity for me to sort of take that next level of giving back. Mm-hmm. and really, it is part of our job to make prostate cancer an issue that's too big to ignore. Right. And how do we do that? And, you know, when you- there's only so many finite resources. We've gotta start where the greatest need is. Right. Right. And for us, that great need is in areas that have Black men- Mm-hmm ... rural communities- Mm-hmm ... military veterans and active service personnel, because we know that they are at higher risk and have bigger challenges for accessing care.

Yeah. And so that is where Blitz The Barriers was born. It was born from taking what we know works in other areas and going, "How do we do this in prostate cancer?" Right. "And how do we start in the places that need us the most?" and as somebody who is, you know, a 20-year Atlanta resident- Mm-hmm ... it's my home, and it's a place that, is such an amazing, vibrant city, but also a really good example of both the best in sort of Black culture- Mm-hmm ... but also the worst in terms of outcomes. Right. And so, it was really kind of a no-brainer that we would launch the community-led work here in Atlanta.

and so that's kinda how we got here, and we're really on a mission to save 100,000 lives in the next 10 years. Well, l- full disclosure, I might be one of those lives- Yeah ... because I am one of those people that you're talking about with h- high risk. Mm-hmm. I've got, father had prostate cancer- Mm-hmm ...

grandfathers had prostate cancer. So I, you know, I go from that major, the macro number of one in eight to the- Yeah ... black mans number of one in six, I might be one in four or one in three- Right, right ... just because of the, the ancestral history. Yes. My aunt had breast cancer, so- Mm-hmm ... it's, it's there. Yeah. And so it's staring me in the face. So how do you, how do you help men overcome that fear? 'Cause I, I live with that fear, and I've been in healthcare- Yeah ... most of my career, and I'm still having that- It's one thing when you talk about somebody else.

It's another thing when you talk about yourself. Oh, I can give great advice. Uh-huh. Of course. I think it starts with a couple things. Yeah. One is, even just the fact that you know your family history- Yeah ... is an important thing. What we know in, in men's health and in prostate health is because there's such stigma around the disease- Mm-hmm ... often people don't even talk about it. So there are people who have family histories that have no idea. So I always start with that, family history. Understand your risk, understand are you at greater risk? So obviously, if you're an African American man, if you've got family history, you know, you should probably have conversations with your doctors starting around 40.

Right. The challenge, of course, is getting men to go to the doctor at all. So that's a whole different other topic for another day. Yes. But I think one of the things that, that we do is because there's such stigma around how prostate cancer is tested- Mm-hmm ...

so one of the things that I think was so great as we were hearing tonight is, it's a blood test, y'all. Yes. Like, it's a blood cancer test. It's a blood test. It's a blood test. It's the same thing as when you get your cholesterol checked. Yes. And it really is a snapshot in a moment in time. Your PSA test won't tell you if you have prostate cancer. Mm-hmm. It's just a bit of information that you can use with your medical providers to make some decisions. And so I think one of the things that we can do is just encourage people to have that first conversation. 'Cause quite honestly, once you get in it- Yeah ...

then it's a lot easier. But I always say, the first step is family history. The second step is just going to see the doctor. Yeah. Annual checkups. Yeah. and we know that women drive healthcare decisions- Mm-hmm ... in families a lot. So for those of you who are women- ... watching this- We call them the family CMOs. Yes. then it is important that you help get people in to speak with their doctors. Mm-hmm. And, you know, if you go and you talk to a medical provider, and they're not quite sure what is, um- what are the things that you should be doing? Mm-hmm. You know, we do hear stories of people saying, "Well, I went to my doctor, and he said I don't need to worry about it." Mm-hmm.

The answer is, if you know your family history, and you know your risk- Right ... then you don't leave until you get what you need. Yeah. and if there's somebody that you know that you love, you know, you don't, you don't let them leave until you get what you need.

No. but I think that, you know, cancer is scary. but it's a lot scarier if it's advanced. Yeah. Because if it's early, 99% chance that you'll be fine. and that's the thing, like, would you rather be part of 99% or a much lower percentage? And so that's where kind of your own personal advocacy and knowing your body is the most important. So how do you balance the education process? 'Cause I know we're, we're working on educating the public, right- Mm-hmm ... in terms of what they should know. Family history, it's just a blood test now, even though I've had the- Sometimes that happens as well.

I've had the long, I've had the, I've had the long version. You know, women who have been getting Pap smears for years, we tell you to sit down next to us and, and enjoy. It's not, it's not a complaint. I understand. Uh-huh. I definitely understand. but, is there some work being done to educate the primary care physicians? Yes. Because we hear those stories a lot, where my doctor said it wasn't a big deal, and I don't have to worry about it, or even when it's 'Cause we learned tonight from the doctor that was on the panel, that for Black men, that number, that, that PSA number- Yes ...

could be 2.5- Yes ... versus the typical four. And if his primary care provider isn't aware of that, they may miss- Yes, yes ... that early detection. So that is part of the reasons why, we have primary care providers as part of our- Okay ... national steering committee. Okay. Because we do know that that's a challenge, and it's a topic for another day.

Right. But there's also some challenges around prostate cancer screening guidelines. Right. Right. they're a little bit vague. They allow for some room for interpretation. okay. And the answer is, though, is that, you know, if you're a Black man in your early 40s, those guidelines don't necessarily apply to you- Right ... because we know that Black men are diagnosed earlier. So, part of what, what we try and do at Zero is twofold, is, one, we know we have to do education to providers. but we also know, one of my f- favorite members of our medical advisory board says to me, "Empowered patients make better doctors." Yes.

And so- Yes ... at Zero, w- yes, we're gonna be working with providers, and we have a whole entire advocacy arm, and we're gonna be looking at guidelines and, getting a little bit more aggressive on that because there's some data. There was actually a recent study, that was published that shows since guidelines changed, the rate of advanced prostate cancer has gone up. Oh, wow. Okay. pretty drastically, actually. Okay. it's doubled- ... in the last 10 or so years since, prostate cancer guidelines became a little bit more loose. Yeah. And so, that's where it really comes down to being your own best advocate.

Mm-hmm. And, and for those who, medical providers who are here, like, it's time to sort of listen to your patients. You know, my father, who is a 77-year-old white man- Right ... his risk is different- ... than a 42-year-old Black man. Mm-hmm. And so they shouldn't be treated the same.

No. And that is, you know, that is the There's a difference between equity and equality. Right. And so what, why, when we're doing things with Blitz, why we're focusing on very specific populations and specific cities and areas, is because we know that it is disproportionately impacting some more than others. Right. And so, but you've really got to be your own best advocate. You know, it's funny, like, one of the best definitions that I've heard about he- health equity is, Morehouse School of Medicine, you're, you're one of their partners. Yeah. And they said, "Health equity is defined as giving people what they need, when they need it, in the amount that they need it- Correct ...

to help them achieve their most optimal health." And so that's not the same one shoe fits all- No ... one size fits all kind of situation. That is what is best for you in the moment and what you need in the moment. And so to be able to share that and to give patients, arm them with that information, so when they go through- go into their primary care physician and just asking the question. Just ask the question, and then, and if you don't like the answer, you know, if your gut says, "No, I still need that," then you've gotta push for it. Mm-hmm. And that's a, that's a thing for, for me personally, right?

I came, When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was in my 20s. Oh, wow. And I was 12 years before the first mammogram would have hit. Right? Yes. And so I spent the first 10 years of my career really talking about people, I was working with young women with breast cancer, and it's, it's similar in the sense that, like, the guidelines didn't apply to us.

But you have to know your body- Mm-hmm ... and know what's normal for you and be your own best advocate. I think one of the challenges in prostate cancer is, you heard this from the panel, right? Yeah. Is- No symptoms ... often, often there aren't symptoms, right? Right. And, and quite honestly, you don't wanna wait until there are symptoms- Right ... because that can impact your quality of life. it can impact what kind of treatment's available to you. Mm-hmm. So the more proactive you are on the front end, the better chances you have for better options and better quality of life.

And to, to our point here at Zero, you know, what equity means for us is that, you know, where you live, what's in your bank account- Mm-hmm ... who your family is, and what color your skin is should not determine your outcomes. Right. We want everyone to have the best chance to live their longest and best life possible. And what we know is, the biggest chance of that is catching it early. Yeah.... I had none of that. So as we're wrapping up here, I know it's been a long day for you. Yes! It's been a great day, though. It is. It's a great day. Oh, it's a fantastic day. I- that was medicine for my soul- Mm-hmm ...

to be honest with you, and gave me the, the energy and those moments were, of those fearful moments- Mm-hmm ... that I had, that knowing that that long family history of knowing what happens if the number isn't right- Yeah ... when I get that blood test. This was w- gave me the strength to be able to do that, so thank you for this event.

Mm-hmm. I needed it personally, and I know the public needs it. Yeah. So tell everybody how they can support you- Yeah ... in this cause, over the next year, 'cause I know you got Baltimore coming up, and then next year- Yes ... there's gonna be more cities on the And more cities- More cities ... and more, and not just cities. We're also going to some rural areas here, especially in the South. Yes. so the biggest thing anybody can do is, if they're really interested in wanting to get involved, is go to zerocancer.org/blitz. Okay. And that gives an overview of the program, it gives an overview of where we're gonna be, it gives, some ideas of, of what some of our objectives are, and then there's also an opportunity to get involved.

Whether it's at a partner, or as, or it's a volunteer, or you're a doctor who wants to get involved, we certainly wanna have you get involved. And if you want to learn it all about Zero just as a whole- Mm-hmm ... obviously, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Yes. So you can go to zerocancer.org/september, and there's a whole array of tools. It's everything from, understanding your risk. So if you are, just wanting to know if you are at an increased risk, you can go to our website, and you can learn all about that. Mm-hmm. It gives you an overview of some of our other programs, and ways to get involved.

Okay. And, you know, we'd love to see you at a Zero event in the future. Well, I'll be there. I'll be there- Awesome. Thanks ... with, with my latest results.

Good. Good! So big cheers. So, so thank you so much for, for the time. Thank you again for this event. Please go to the website- Mm-hmm ... learn more, learn your family history, have some Advocate for yourself, when you go and speak with your It's a two-way street when you're in there with your- That's right ... with your primary care physician. So advocate for yourself, know what the numbers are, and, be the best person, be the best version of you- Yeah, that's right ... as you can be. So again, thank you for the time, and we appreciate you. Thank you so much.