The overall aims of this Prostate Cancer Advocate Core are to a) engage researchers and advocatesin dialogue that will contribute patient insights to the research programs of the SPORE and b) to provideinformation about prostate cancer and prostate cancer research to patients and the community. This is anewly established core.Specifically, this will involve advocates in discussion with researchers about the benefits andrelevance of their research to patients and on the contribution that will result from a successful completion oftheir work. The advocates will participate in clinical trial protocol development and consent form reviews forSPORE projects to provide the viewpoint of the patient and enhance the comprehensibility and acceptabilityof the documents. The advocates will assist in accrual for clinical trials. They will also participate inresearch proposal reviews to provide a patient/consumer point-of-view.The community-based aim will focus on persons who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer,their supporting family members, at-risk familial extensions of the patient, and members-at-large of thecommunity. There is both a lack of knowledge and misinformation about prostate cancer among thesepersons. The work of the advocates will include going into the community to provide information aboutprostate cancer and its detection and treatment, while providing information about SPORE research andclinical trials, and providing patients and their families with a broad program of education through theestablished support group. This work is intended to encourage early screening testing, demonstrate accessto information resources, and increase awareness of treatment options and clinical trials. This kind ofinformation can contribute directly to earlier diagnosis and treatment and to a higher rate of successfuloutcomes and patient satisfaction. Mayo Prostate SPORE advocates are now significantly involved withprostate advocates from other Prostate SPOREs and with advocates from other Mayo SPOREs. Theprostate advocates also participate with other organizations related to the Mayo Comprehensive CancerCenter. The interests of present and especially those of future prostate cancer patients will be enhanced bythe addition of this core to the Mayo Prostate SPORE.
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