Two Significant Grants Will Expand Urologic Cancer Care, Education, and Opportunities for Patients and Community

New programs will help people with kidney cancer and African American men at increased risk of prostate cancer

Members of the Department of Urology at Hackensack University Medical Center have secured two significant grants to fund programs designed to expand cancer care, education, and opportunities for patients and members of the Hackensack community. People diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a type of kidney cancer, will benefit from an interactive patient portal to help them make treatment decisions, and African American men will be able to attend a Men's Health Day in fall 2022 to be connected with prostate cancer screening and other health services.

Enhancing Kidney Cancer Education
The kidney cancer program is being funded by a grant from Pfizer Inc. to support approaches designed to improve patient outcomes. In addition to surgery, patients with renal cell cancer have numerous treatment options, including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies. Nitin Yerram, M.D., co-director of Urologic Oncology at John Theurer Cancer Center and director of Urologic Research, and his colleagues are designing an educational curriculum delivered through an interactive patient portal and featuring videos with team members and other resources to help patients newly diagnosed with localized or metastatic kidney cancer navigate their treatment options.

Men's Health Day for African Americans
African American men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, with twice the risk of developing the disease and higher mortality rates compared to white men. A grant from the BD Foundation is supporting a social media marketing campaign to advertise Men's Health Day, which will provide free resources to African American men who would benefit from prostate cancer screening. Other services offered that day may include free testing for such disorders as high blood pressure and diabetes and connection with colorectal cancer screening.

"These programs will provide education and resources to people with kidney cancer and those at increased risk of prostate cancer to enhance their understanding of these diseases and link them with the most effective care," said Dr. Yerram, who spearheaded both programs.

Learn more about urology advancements happening at Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center.