growing. now, yet others experience all the ben fills for early -- benefits and early detection. joining us this morning to talk about this controversy is dr. sanford president of the associate and dr. mark, chief of your st. joseph's medical center. welcome back. always a pleasure to have you on. >> thank you. >> first, how and why did this controversy regarding to screen for prostate cancer, how did it come about? >> i'll let my partner take care of that question for you. >> yeah, i think that there's a scent that perhaps prostate cancer is not as deadly as we think it is, and it is not as dangerous as we think it is. because of that, there is an elk out there that subjects perhaps we're overscreening which leads to overtestings and perhaps overtreatment. >> what does the data tell us? >> it tells us that prostate cancer is still the number two cancer killer in this country .

>> number two? >> yes, number two male cancer in the country close to 30 thourbs men a year -- 30,000 men a year still die from prostate cancer. there's relatively 2,000 new cases tested per year. with those, we feel that prostate cancer is still a cancer that needs to be detected and needs to be treated. not in all cases, but it needs to be treated in the appropriate cases. >> right. so in prostate cancer being the number two killer cancer wide in this? what's number one? >> lung cancer. >> obviously from smoking. what are the benchmarks for getting screened for prostate cancer, doctor? >> the recommendations have changed recently. it used to be that it was caucasian men at 50 fin their screening -- begin their screening, african americans at 40. now, the recommendation that we recently got from the american

neurological association says men should get tested beginning at four, all of them. >> what is testing? it means what? >> it means that you get a blood test called psa, a digital erectile examination. >> that's what it consistents of? between the two of them with the recto examination, what are physicians looking for? >> mark? >> basically looking for any subtle hardness or firmness of the prostate, the prostate normally has a consistency of the tissue that is under your thumb. if it feels any harder than that, it is subjected that perhaps it could be a cancerous growth and of course with the psa exam, there are certain normal values for the psa blood test in that age, in the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, it does change over that span of time. >> right. now, the situation with prostate cancer is different. you've got the psa, a digital exam, it's not really painful, like mammograms involved with

the machine that looks at the breasts of the women. why the controversy do you think? >> i think that there is always misconceptions about what the effect of this exam is. the prostate exam or the recto examination has no long-term effects. it doesn't change who you are and what you are. it doesn't cause erectile dysfunction. >> right. it doesn't change who you are and what you are. >> okay. >> i think two, excuse me, should there be any abnormalities with the blood test or the recto exam would lead to further testings. there are some misconceptions about what the side effects from the prostate biopsies are. those type of biopsy tests are roughly a three to five minute exam that involves puts an ultrasound probe into the backside, numbing up the prostate completely and taking small pieces of tissue. i think it's from those tests that people perhaps are

skeptical that perhaps it may cause some side effects or uncomfortable situations. >> are you a proponent of that test or is your medical examine, it's necessary in some instances? >> i'm very true for that test. even when the tests are ab normal meaning the psa or recto exam. at our hands, it is a minusculely complicated test in my opinion. >> is there a specific group that is ejecting to the prostate exam/psa test? >> i don't think that it is any specific group to tell you the truth. many different academic centers and private practice centers that feel we are overtreating prostate cancer because we do know that many men live well into their 80s and 90s with prostate cancer. perhaps it is just found

incidentally in those cases. that's true. there are many prostate cancer that will not kill you and you can live into your 80s and 90s and die from something else. it's because of that thought process that they feel we're simply overtreating prostate cancer. but remember what i said, what it counts for the 30,000 men a year that are dying from it. >> that's a good point. let's follow up on that and talk about the rate at which prostate cancer moves through your body verses some others, as if it is a fast or slow moving disease? >> generally prostate cancer is a slow moving disease. but it can move through your body very quickly. we all have seen cases of men where they tell you to stop testing at 80. we have all seen cases where men in their mid-80s come in and for some reason or another, the doctor may have done a psa that is very high and again, if these men live long enough, they can die of prostate cancer and dying of prostate cancer is not a good death. it is very painful. if we can prevent that

from happening, if we could find these cases earlier and prevent death from prostate cancer, that's a good thing. >> mark, we know in certain instances, other cancers are components for them. lance armstrong had cancer. any similarities between that and prostate cancer? >> there are none with the exception of the fact that it is just a mail cancer. really, the cancers, they are all very different. the causes, the treatments, they are extremely different. but any awareness about any male cancer is a good awareness because men, they are so true to receive and seek treatment a lot of the times for any screening of any type. >> right. let's talk about your big event which is the great prostate cancer challenge three years ago. i want to emphasize that just because it is very important. wjz, they are very happy and proud to be a partner in sponsoring this event with you all? >> well, we're very proud to have wjz as our sponsor and they have been a great sponsor for

us. they really helped us get the word out. not only that about this 5k event we have coming up, but they help get the word out about the prostate cancer and the screenings that we have provided to many churches, especially african american churches in this city. that i have spoken about that before that they are almost an epidemic proportion in the african american community. the great prostate cancer, they have many faces to it. one, it will, we hope that they increase awareness about the prostate cancer and the need for screenings and two, it provides screening opportunities for them, not only another area churches, but we're going to be providing screening at their hospital, st. joseph's hospital the day of the event. and we're raising important funds to find a cure for this disease. i was happy to be a part of it last year. it was a wonderful event. i was really impressed bit number of people that came out. how much money did you raise last year and how many people

showed up with that event? >> now this will be our third year. for the first two years raising a quarter of a million dollars. we're very pleased about that. last year, 1400 runners and probably about 3,000 people attending the event. this year, we're hoping to have everybody come out here. and we have over almost 2,000 runners and walkers. we got 4,000 to 5,000 people. >> you made a few changes because you were concerned about the economy and you kind of kept that in mind during the planning of this event? a few things that you're not doing, is that right? >> yes. what we did, we focused this year on the prostate cancer screening program for them and the churches and around the city. what we didn't do this year that we did last year is that we did not have a benefit concert. last year, we brought them out there to help raise awareness about prostate cancer. there's a great event for them at the hurricane area and it greatly affected it. but it is a great day. but this year, we're focusing on the screening events and on the

area itself. as soon as it clears out, this is something that you talked about which is access to all of them and we talked about that on the show before. i think that this is, i don't want to use that word irritation. but there are a lot of them that don't have access. we talk about that. we want to access or lack thereof mean? what does that mean when we talk about that? >> i think the reason why some men have lack of access partially because it is education that they are not aware that this is an important thing to do or they are completely frightened to death. and they simply won't come. and we at st. joseph's medical center as an example have free screening several times a year. we welcome people whether they have insurance or they do not have insurance to come in and be checked for prostate cancer among many other types of screenings that we have at that institute. >> this is important. we're talking about the healthcare debate. the president is on the air recently in front of congress talking about this. great, they come in, they get screened. bottom line, who's going to pay for this if it turns out that

do have prostate cancer? >> we have promised the community when we go in and do the screenings that if they do not have insurance and they cannot get treatment, then we will treat them for free. >> wow. >> and i hope that everybody, they are listening to it. do you want to say that again? >> i'll tell you that in baltimore city, there's a program associated with john hopkin's hospital throughout the tobacco fund that provides free prostate cancer treatment for those that do not have insurance. and if for some reason you are not from baltimore city. >> sure. >> and we took care of you in our screenings. and we take care of you. we have promised the community that we will not abandon these men who are found to have that in their exams. >> thank you mark. god bless you for what you're doing. we hope that people get the message out about how important this is. there's no need not to get screened and there's certainly no reason to die from this disease.

you can get treated and get access to it. >> that's correct. we hope that everybody comes out on saturday, september 26 at the st. joseph's medical center. we'll all be there. it's a great day. we've got great things for everybody in your family. please come out and join us and support this great event. >> okay, thank you for coming. come on out, everybody, to the great prostate cancer challenge on saturday, september 26. look, if you don't want to run, you can walk. no problem, i walked last year. beginning at 80 and the st. joseph's medical center. 410-308-1870, or go to greatprostatecancerchallenge.co free prostate cancer screenings will be held on september 26, by the way, at the cancer institute at st. joseph's medical center. to schedule an appointment, call them. later on in october, free screenings will be held on october 4. at wa yland baptist church and october 18. to schedule an appointment, call 443-738-2703.

more children than ever are being placed in foster care. these children, many with siblings are being separated not only from their birth parents but their brothers and sisters as well. the sibling separation is debt mental to mental health. joining us to talk about a foster program to keep siblings together is tiffany. welcome. >> thank you. >> tiffany, those are some pretty startling numbers in these, we have done shows, actually, where we talked about foster care. but i'm not sure if you really dive into the issue of how foster care and that separation

plays into a child's life. can you give us an idea of how serious this can be? >> yes, it is very serious. as far as how it affects the children's mental health and their behavior and just their emotional state with being separated from their siblings and taken into foster care. just being taken into foster care alone is traumatizing enough for children. but then to be separated from their siblings is definitely detremendous mental to their emotional well being. >> give us an idea in recent terms of what you see here in baltimore. how many african american childrens are atpebted by this -- affected by this right now? >> currently in the maryland office, we serve about 85 children on a daily bas. however, we get referrals on daily basis for children. so they are constantly coming in. >> how do children know, do families get recommended to you

or referred to you? >> referred from the department of social services, baltimore city department of social services. we'll make a referral to neighbors and families to go in and to make sure that the daily needs of the children are being met. for most of our referrals, they do come from baltimore city, the department of children services. >> okay, now, as a board member, why do you think that this organization made for the family is important? >> i think it is important, the motto that we have t is very important because you're keeping those young people, those siblingsing together where as -- siblings together, where they have been broken up and referred to group homes. that's more devastating than keeping them together. i've been with the organization for five years. the organization was started in 1990. but what i have seen and what we have done in the several states we operate maryland, virginia, north carolina, texas, georgia,

and florida, we have assisted and brought people back. and the focus basically is to get those young people or those siblings back to their birth parents. in a timely manner. and i think our motto has gotten them back. tiffany can speak more to that. >> yes. we work with the birth families as well, the case managers and the family advocates which is another position which we have been able to assist the families -r, most of the children are referred into the program. we immediately get in contact with the birth families and we work with the the birth families around, providing services to them and support. whatever they may need in order to get their children to return home to them. >> tiffany, you menaced you serve -- you mentioned you serve about 85 children on a regular basis, at least that amount on a daily basis. of that number, how many have siblings? >> most of all the children that come into our program are siblings. that was one of the unique

different things is that our president and ceo, they wanted our agency to be an agency where we keep siblings together in the foster home. because overtime while he was doing this, he noticed a lot of the siblings were being separated which, of course, you know, played a huge part on their well being. so our agency, we try to make sure that a lot of the children are placed together in the foster homes. >> is there someone that had an opportunity to, i'm sure, to have a parent in your lifetime. how important is knowing your family history would you estimate and knowing where you come from? >> it is very important. it's very important. and also, we have professional parents. we hire people basically. our parents have paid. and in doing so, we get the best and they are trained to work with siblings. it is very important for you to know your history and all too often we don't know that

history. in doing so, we feel that we're making a significant difference to that person. that sibling, or the group as to who they are and where they are. >> excuse me. just to speak a little bit about the professional limb of the foster parent -- professionalism of the foster parents is that all of them are professional parents meaning that they receive battery and the benefits as well. they also included in the treatment team which works together to make sure that the children return home. >> and they are trained, they basically needed to audition for that role. >> okay. tiffany, you have a very important luncheon coming up. this is the luncheon that honors the williams and allison roberts family. what's significant about this family and let's talk about the luncheon. >> yes, it's held on september 30 at the form. we'll be honoring the roberts family. they have made a significant

contribution in the community as well as they can speak about the impact of being out there and what it really means to be with your sibling. >> listening to yours is not necessarily concerned that something ising wrong with foster care more than anything, but you're looking at how foster care impacts the lives of children. >> exactly. >> with their siblings. very interesting. i want to thank both of you for coming out here, we appreciate it. >> thank you. the second annual gordon johnson siblings of the award honor the robinsons at the form caterers on the premier avenue. for tickets call 410-496-8151 or go to their website.

colonial baptist church is sponsoring facing action on october 11. senior pastor, robert j. anderson jr. joins me to explain what this is all about. welcome here and how are you? >> doing fine. good morning to you. thank you for having me.

>> it's a pleasure to have you. >> what is faith in action? >> faith in action is an effort to get the church outside of their roles to impact the community with acts of love and kindness. >> are you encouraged these days as you're around the country, let's make it more specific in maryland and baltimore that the people, they are having a sense of faith and that is something that concerns you. are you feeling good with that? or are you troubled at all? we are with all of them and their concern. >> well, i'm encouraged because one of the things that have happenedded when there are tough times and difficult times is that people, they look to the church. >> yes. >> people look to the lord to try to find answers to what concerns them. so in that prostate, it gives us an opportunity all the more to show the love of christ. >> give us an idea of what types of activities that you'll have with faith and action. >> it's a variety of things. in fact, we have contacts with nursing homes, we've contacted various schools. we go through

individual homes. we have gone to youth homes and youth centers and stuff like that. and all in all, this is sort to speak, no charge, you know, just tell us what needs to be done. by the grace of god, we want to do it. >> so in the process you'll go out and help folks and then a part of it, a part of the mission as well is the an limb? >> yes. in fact, that type of core is what we do. we love jesus and we want to tell all of those about them. one of the ways that people understand that is by service and kindness and so as we go out, for example, we've been involved with a girl's group. and when they were ministered too, they went to the movies or they went to the malls, or if i recall, i think that they got a certificate to go out to target. and so it was a day of fun activities for them talk to them about that and about the

lord as well. while they are doing things that affects their bodies and their well being as a whole. and we're very concerned about their personal relationship to the lord. >> right. >> are there those that don't want to receive the message and how do they spobd in that message? >> well, they are good. because we love you anyways. >> yes -fp >> you know, you cannot stop that, you know? i like that. but well for us, if we had the opportunities to do any type of service that we're doing, we'll do that. it's not contingent upon you agreeing with what we believe, but what we believe is driving us to say that we love you. and we want to help in some physical way. >> well, this certainly is our need for the love. you know, in the war back there. and i know that the people are going to be the beneficiaries of that. this is church members, donating time and also their resources, financially right? to those who need it?

>> yes. >> who could anticipate and how could you volunteer? is it just reserved for the members of the church? >> i'm glad that you asked that. you know, it focuses on everybody. and that's exciting about it. we found t-shirts that said don't find the church, be the church. >> we kind of suspend the wreckless needs or do it on the funding. so we mobilize, get together on that sunday morning. we don't do what we normally do. and then we separate into things and then we go out and we invade the neighborhood with the love and kindness. we want others to join us. in fact, we tried to motivate and encourage the other churches to do the same. they don't need to come out to our place and go where we go, but we're also trying to get them to do what they are doing and then they put in surrounding areas. >> this is at the core of what you believe jesus would want them to be doing? >> yes. they love that with all where are heart and love your neighbors and yourself.

one of the ways that you love your neighbor is by serving them and administering to them. >> robert james, thank you so much. we appreciate what you are looking for and the members of the baptist church out there in baltimore county, arguing. >> great, thank you for coming o. you need to come back and give us a progress report of how things are going. >> love to do that. >> thank you for coming on today and for the members for having them out here today. to participate in faith and action on october 11 at colonial baptist church. you're free to lower your things and give them a call, 410-655-1080. or go to their website or go to their website which is when morning comes in the middle of the night... rooster crow. ...it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery.

sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake with memory loss for the event as well as abnormal behaviors such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and halluciations may occur. don't take it with alcohol as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr.

6 p.m. at morgan state university's murphy fine art's center. that's a beautiful facility. 410-523-5306 ext17. thank you for watching us and thank you for being on wjz on the radio and also online, wjz.com. we'll see you next week. bye.