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At the Hospitals
n Promising Treatment for Enlarged support Lung B.A.S.E.S. 4 Life, an innovative Matters: The Impact of Violent Media on
program that will feature a mobile unit for Today’s Youth.” The annual event, now in its
Prostate Now in Final Testing Phase early identification of lung cancer coupled with 11th year, is sponsored by Carolinas Medical
a comprehensive education, navigation and Center’s Violence Prevention Committee,
Carolinas HealthCare System’s McKay clinical intervention program to support better headed by David Jacobs, MD, medical director
Urology and Vascular & Interventional outcomes for lung cancer patients. of CMC’s F. H. “Sammy” Ross, Jr. Trauma
Specialists, a division of Charlotte Center and Charlotte AHEC.
Radiology, have partnered in a clinical trial Lung cancer is the second most common
to examine the effectiveness of prostate cancer diagnosis, and the leading cause of cancer Ed Donnerstein, PhD, dean emeritus at the
artery embolization (PAE), an emerging death in the U.S. Access to optimal screening is University of Arizona, quoted from a study of
minimally invasive treatment for benign paramount to early diagnosis, intervention and teens age 13-19 that found most spend about
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). survival for those at high risk for contracting nine hours a day watching entertainment media,
the disease. Lack of transportation to medical up from two-three hours a day 20 years ago.
Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia facilities, inability to secure the support
(BPH) already live with a number of resources necessary for adequate preventive Donnerstein said another study showed that
unpleasant symptoms – difficulty urinating, care and poor understanding of risk factors 60 percent of television shows today contain
a weak urinary stream, urination urgency, prevent thousands ofAmericans from receiving violence where characters intentionally hurt
difficulty sleeping and erectile dysfunction. necessary cancer screenings. By eliminating someone. The perpetrators often are heroes and
And many of the current medical therapies the barriers to care that prevent patients from
for the condition, which can arise from an accessing early diagnosis and life-saving Attendees of the recent Youth Violence Prevention
enlarged prostate, have unpleasant side effects, treatment, Lung B.A.S.E.S. 4 Life will improve Conference at Charlotte’s Friendship Missionary
such as impotence and urinary incontinence. the quality of life and enhance survivorship for Baptist Church listen to a panel discussion on how
lung cancer patients in the Carolinas. violent media can influence youth behavior.
Doctors are looking for an effective
treatment that isn’t accompanied by those side The mobile unit, developed by Samsung attractive role models. The bad characters are
effects. With PAE, small catheters are placed Neurologica, will have a portable, full- never punished. Pain or negative consequences
through a pinhole in the femoral artery in the body, 32-slice computed tomography (CT) are not shown. “No one says Sesame Street
thigh and threaded into the blood vessels that scanner to deliver high-quality images of doesn’t teach kids, but the same medium can
supply the prostate. These blood vessels are both soft tissue and bone through low-dose teach kids how to hold a gun,” Donnerstein said.
then blocked, which decreases blood flow to CT technology. The vehicle is expected
the prostate, shrinks it (if successful) and, over to be completed by late 2016 and will be Vic Strasburger, MD, distinguished professor
time, improves symptoms. Many patients feel piloted initially in Mecklenburg County, of pediatrics emeritus at the University of New
relief within a week. with plans to expand into rural areas where Mexico School of Medicine, said the role of
access to care is limited. Lung B.A.S.E.S. violent mass media on developing minds is one
Transurethral resection of the prostate will provide lung cancer screenings, of several risk factors that may contribute to
(TURP), in which part of the prostate is smoking cessation education and navigation later violent actions.
removed through the penis, is the standard services to assist patients with any follow-
of care when prescription drugs don’t work. up intervention needed. He offered four suggestions for parents who
This trial is evaluating PAE against TURP. want to control their children’s exposure to
A control group — one-third of study Levine Cancer Institute has a long-standing media violence:
participants — will receive TURP, which is commitment to increasing access to high- • Discourage any screen time for children
what they’d get if they weren’t part of the trial. quality care for all patients, regardless of
where they live, which is demonstrated younger than 2 years old. It is much easier to
Recruitment of men ages 50-79 with a through implementing community-based limit screen time at an early age than try to
diagnosis of BPH is under way. Participants programs in underserved communities. dial it back when the kids are older.
should be able to commit to treatment In addition to active screenings for breast, • Limit total entertainment screen time to less
and follow-up in Charlotte. For referrals, prostate and colon cancer, the Institute offers than two hours per day for older children.
contact Robbin Clark at Robbin.Clark@ a robust navigation program that currently • Ban screens of any kind from bedrooms
carolinashealthcare.org or call 704-355-1322. serves more than 12,000 patients. where kids could access them when parents
are unaware.
n Levine Cancer Institute Receives $1.6 n Conference Examined Effect of • Teach your kids media literacy. Discuss what
they see on TV and let them know the
Million Grant for Lung Cancer Program Media Violence on Children violence is not real.
Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Speakers at a recent Youth Violence Prevention
Cancer Institute has received a $1.6 million grant Conference agreed that parents have the best
from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to chance to control their children’s access to
violent media, but also acknowledged the job
is much tougher than it used to be.
This year’s conference theme was “Media
12 | July/August 2016 • Mecklenburg Medicine