>>> WE ARE BACK.
8:37 WITH SOMETHING NEW THAT
COULD SAVE A LOT OF LIVES.
>> YES, THAT IS THE HOPE.
TODAY MARKS THE LAUNCH OF THE
VERY FIRST MOBILE PROSTATE
CANCER SCREENING UNIT IN THE
COUNTRY.
AND AL ROKER IS RIGHT THERE WITH
IT.
MR. ROKER, I KNOW THIS IS A
CAUSE THAT IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR
TO YOU.
>> ABSOLUTELY GUYS.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ALREADY
SEE GENTLEMEN FROM 100 BLACK MEN
INCORPORATED LINING UP READY TO
GET SCREENED.
ANY GUY OVER 45 IS GOING TO BE
ELIGIBLE TO GET SCREENED HERE.
THE ROBERT F. SMITH MOBILE
PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING BUS.
AND IT IS IF FIRST OF ITS KIND
IN THE COUNTRY.
FILLED WITH LIFE-SAVING
SCREENING TECHNIQUES, TOOLS FROM
MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL.
GOING TO HELP SUPPORT PROSTATE
HEALTH IN BLACK COMMUNITIES AND
WHEN IT COMES TO TREATING THIS
DISEASE, I GOT TO TELL YOU,
EARLY DETECTION IS KEY.
>> LAST THING YOU WANT TO HEAR
FROM YOUR DOCTOR IS "HAD WE ONLY
CAUGHT IT SOONER".
>> Reporter: HE WAS IN THE BEST
SHAPE OF HIS LIFE.
IT'S 2019.
EVERYTHING IS GREAT EXCEPT FOR
ONE THING.
>> THE ONE THING WAS PSA LEVEL
HAD BEEN CREEPING UPWARDS THE
PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS.
NOT MUCH.
JUST A LITTLE BIT.
>> Reporter: PSA, STANDING FOR
PROSTATE SPECIFIC INTEGER.
HIGH PSA LEVELS CAN SIGNAL THE
SIGN OF PROSTATE CANCER.
SIMILAR STORY TO MIND.
ELEVATED LEVELS IN BLOOD WORK
LED TO MY OWN DIAGNOSIS.
YOU HEAR THE WORD "CANCER" AND
YOUR MIND GOES, IT'S THE NEXT
LEVEL.
AND THOUGH I HAD NO HISTORY OF
THE DISEASE IN MY FAMILY, TONY
DID.
HE UNDERWENT MORE TESTING AND
DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER.
>> YOUR DAD HAD PROSTATE CANCER.
YOU THINK LTS
UNCLES.
GRANDFATHER.
DID YOU THINK WELL THIS ISN'T
GOING TO COME FOR ME.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Reporter: REALLY.
>> DIDN'T EVEN REGISTER.
I LIVED A TOTALLY DIFFERENT
LIFESTYLE.
WORKED OUT SIX DAYS A WEEK.
DIDN'T APPLY TO ME.
I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSER
ATTENTION BUT I DIDN'T AND LIKE
MOST OF US DON'T AND WE DON'T
TALK ABOUT IT.
>> Reporter: SO TONY DECIDED TO
SPARK THE CONVERSATION ABOUT
PROSTATE HEALTH.
SITTING IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER
UNDERGOING SURGERY TO TREAT THE
CANCER HE CALLED UP EVERY GUY IN
HIS CONTACTS URGING HIM TO GET
SCREENED.
INCLUDING HIS BROTHER.
WHEN YOU CALLED YOUR BROTHER,
WHAT WAS HIS REACTION?
>> HE'S AN OLDER BROTHER SO, YOU
KNOW, HOW THAT IS.
SO WHEN HE DID GO, HE HAD MUCH
HIGHER ELEVATION IN PSA THAN I
DID AND HE HAD A MORE AGGRESSIVE
FORM.
SO HE HAD TO GET HIS OUT QUICK.
AND HE DID.
>> THAT PHONE CALL.
YOU COULD HAVE SAVED YOUR
BROTHERS LIFE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I FOUND WAS
THAT ONCE I WENT PUBLIC ABOUT
IT, I ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED
HEARING FROM PEOPLE THAT I KNEW
WHO SAID OH BY THE WAY, I HAD
PROSTATE CANCER. YEAH.
THAT I HAD NO IDEA THEY DIDN'T
SHARE.
>> SHARE THE MESSAGE.
GET IT OUT.
>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO THE
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, ONE IN
EIGHT MEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH
PROSTATE CANCER IN THEIR
LIFETIME.
BLACK MEN ARE MORE THAN TWICE AS
LIKELY TO DIE FROM THE DISEASE.
AT MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL WHERE
TONY WAS TREATED, DR. ASH TOWARI
IS LEADING THE EFFORT TO PROMOTE
DETECTION IN BLACK COMMUNITIES
ON BOARD THE FIRST MOBILE
PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING UNIT
IN THE COUNTRY.
>> THIS MOBILE UNIT WILL BE
FRIENDS AND DOCTORS COMING TO
THEIR DOORSTEP, NUDGING THEM TO
FIND OUT ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER
RISK AND NOT GETTING DEFEATED BY
THIS CANCER BECAUSE WE WILL BE
THERE TO HELP THEM.
>> THE 500 SQUARE FOOT BUS
MOVING AROUND DIFFERENT NEW YORK
NEIGHBORHOODS MAKING APPEARANCES
AT LARGE EVENTS LIKE CHURCH
FUNCTIONS AND COMMUNITY
GATHERINGS.
ANYONE IS WELCOME ABOARD FOR A
PSA BLOOD TEST, PHYSICAL EXAM
AND ULTRASOUND, NO APPOINTMENT
NEEDED.
THE GOAL TO SAVE LIVES.
>> DOWN THE ROAD THERE WILL BE
MORE FATHERS COMING IN WITH
THEIR FAMILY BECAUSE THEY FOUND
CANCER EARLY.
>> Reporter: AND THAT'S THE
WHOLE GOAL.
AND JOINING ME NOW INSIDE THE
PROSTATE SCREENING BUS, DOCTOR,
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO IMPORTANT.
WHY DID MOUNT SINAI DECIDE YOU
REALLY WANTED TO GET THIS GOING
TO BE ABLE TO BRING PROSTATE
CANCER SCREENING TO AT RISK
COMMUNITIES?
>> MEN, BLACK MEN WITH PROSTATE
CANCER, THEY ARE TWICE MORE
LIKELY TO DIE WITH THIS CANCER.
FEW YEARS EARLIER FINDING THE
CANCER, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
SAVED.
I WANTED TO BRING MY OFFICE
RIGHT IN HARLEM, RIGHT IN FRONT
OF THEIR DOORS AND ENCOURAGE
THEM TO TALK ABOUT PROSTATE
CANCER.
>> Reporter: SO THIS IS A MOBILE
OFFICE.
AND ANYBODY 45 AND OLDER
ELIGIBLE.
SO THEY COME IN, WHAT HAPPENS?
>> THEY COME IN, THEY GET
REGISTERED RIGHT HERE.
IT IS A REGISTRATION DESK LIKE
ANY DOCTORS OFFICE AND TAKE
THEIR THEIR MEDICAL HISTORY AND
ISSUES BEFORE LIKE HIGHLY
CONNECTED AND.
>> Reporter: BRING US A TOUR.
THE GENTLEMEN WE'RE GOING MEET
HAVE ALREADY GIVEN PERMISSION.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE,
DOCTOR?
>> SO THIS IS MY FIRST OFFICE.
PATIENTS COME TO MY OFFICE AND
IN THE OFFICE THEY ARE GETTING
THE MEDICAL HISTORY AND THE
HISTORY AND BLOOD PRESSURE AND
ALL LIKE A DOCTORS OFFICE.
THIS IS THE PLACE.
>> AND WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
>> ANTHONY.
>> ANTHONY, WHY DID YOU DECIDE
TO FINALLY GET -- IS THIS YOUR
FIRST CHECK.
>> NO THIS WOULD BE MY SECOND.
>> Reporter: SO WHY ARE YOU HERE
TODAY.
>> CANCER RUNS IN MY FAMILY.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF
IT HAPPENS TO BE PRESENT THEY
CATCH IT EARLY AND WANT TO LIVE
A LONGER, HEALTHER LIFE WITH MY
FAMILY AND KIDS.
>> Reporter: THAT IS THE POINT.
>> CATCHING IT EARLY IS --.
CATCHING IT LATE --
>> Reporter: SO YOU HAVE GOT A
SPOT HERE WHERE -- WHAT HAPPENS
BACK HERE?
>> LIKE IN A DOCTORS OFFICE.
FIRST TO YOU THE EXAMINATION
LIKE THIS.
PSAs, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DO
SOME PROCEDURES SOMETIMES.
AND ESPECIALLY THE IMAGING AND
ULTRASOUND.
AND THIS IS VERY --
>> Reporter: BLOOD WORK DONE.
>> ULTRASOUND'S DONE.
EXAMINATION DONE.
BLOOD PRESSURE IS DONE.
EVERYTHING WHICH YOU NORMALLY
GET DONE IN A REGULAR DOCTORS
OFFICE IS RIGHT HERE.
>> Reporter: AND WHAT IS YOUR
NAME?
>> ERIC.
>> Reporter: ERIC, AND HAVE YOU
BEEN GETTING CHECKED ON A
REGULAR BASIS?
>> I HAVE NOT.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS AN OBLIGATION.
WE AS BLACK MEN, WE CARE ABOUT
OUR FAMILIES AND OUR LIVING.
AND I THINK WE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO GET CHECKED SO WE
CAN BE HERE FOR OUR FAMILY ZBLST
HAVE YOU WAITED TO DO THIS?
WAS IT JUST YOU JUST DECIDED TO,
HEY, YOU KNOW, I'M BUSY, ITS
BEEN A PANDEMIC AND NOW YOU
ARE --
>> PANDEMIC HAD A LOT TO DO WITH
IT.
YOU KNOW, THINGS WERE DIFFICULT
IN THE PANDEMIC.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW,
I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I'M PART OF THE 100 BLACK MEN.
I KNOW ROBERT SMITH IS KIND OF
CO-SIGNING ALL OF THIS, AND ALL
OF THESE FACTORS THAT COME GET
YOURSELF CHECKED OUT.
AL ROKER IS GOING TO BE HERE.
SO I GOT TO COME NOW.
I GOT TO COME.
>> Reporter: I DON'T KNOW IF
THAT IS THE REASON BUT YOU ARE
HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
DOCTOR, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO MEN
WHO HAVE BEEN HESITANT TO GET
CHECKED?
WHY SHOULD THEY COME OUT?
>> IF WE FIND IT EARLY, WE CAN
CURE IT.
AND IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT WHEN
THEY GET THE SCREEN, THE -- IS
DIFFERENT.
SO IN THEY WANT TO LIVE LONGER.
>> AND HOW DO YOU FIND OUT WHERE
THE BUS IS GOING TO BE?
>> WE'RE GOING TO EVERYWHERE
WHERE THERE ARE BLACK MEN LIVING
AND WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE
CHURCHES, TO THE DOORS AND GO TO
THEIR HOMES AND WE'LL ENCOURAGE
THEM TO COME OUT.
AND ACTUALLY LADIES ARE GOING
HELP US.
>> Reporter: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT
FOR THE WOMEN IN THESE MEN'S
LIVES?
>> IN MY OWN HOUSE, MY WIFE
TAKES CARE OF -- ONE DOCTORS
VERSUS THE OTHER DOCTOR AND SHET
SETS UP ALL THE APPOINTMENTS.
LADIES ARE MORE PROACTIVE.
THEY HELP US.
JUST LIKE ROBERT SMITH HELPED US
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
LADIES HELP NUDGE THE MEN OUT.
GO AND GET TESTED?
>> Reporter: YOU GOT NUDGED.
WE'VE ALL BEEN NUDGED.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL DOCTOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU GUYS.
AND THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
TAKE IT FROM ME.
I'VE GOT MY NEXT SIX MONTHS
CHECKUP COMING UP IN MAY.
MY BLOORBGD WORK DONE AND EARLY
DETECTION IS EVERYTHING.
>> HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT THAT IT
IS RIGHT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
FOR PEOPLE HESITANT TO GO TO THE
DOCTOR AND MAKE THAT
APPOINTMENT.
YOU JUST WALK RIGHT IN THERE.
>> SO GLAD FOR THE STORY.