Advancing Prostate Cancer Survivorship Through Transatlantic Consortium Science: The iCCaRE Initiative

Area of Science:

• Oncology and Health Disparities Research
• Transdisciplinary and Patient-Centered Care Models

Background:

• Black/African American populations experience the highest prostate cancer (CaP) burden globally.
• Addressing CaP disparities requires a comprehensive, patient- and community-centric approach.
• Unmet needs in survivorship care for Black men necessitate innovative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate findings from the iCCaRE Consortium's pilot studies to address prostate cancer survivorship disparities in Black men.
• To evaluate multilevel determinants, including social, behavioral, and biological factors, influencing CaP disparities.
• To demonstrate the feasibility and impact of a transdisciplinary, transatlantic approach to improving CaP care equity.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of five complementary pilot studies using mixed-methods designs (feasibility trials, qualitative research, observational analyses).
• Data collection across clinical and community settings in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Analysis included descriptive statistics, subgroup analyses, and qualitative thematic analyses.

Main Results:

• Project 1: Feasibility of a Virtual Reality Assistant (ViRA) in clinical and community settings.
• Project 2: Strong patient preference for home-based cancer care.
• Project 3: Trends toward improved health-related quality of life.
• Project 4: Identified key themes influencing survivorship experiences.
• Project 5: Identified biological mechanisms linking stress, immune modulation, and symptom burden.

Conclusions:

• The iCCaRE pilot projects demonstrate the feasibility and early impact of a consortium-based, transdisciplinary approach to addressing CaP disparities in Black men.
• Integrating patient-centered interventions, community engagement, and biological insights is crucial for scalable strategies.
• A transatlantic, multidisciplinary approach integrating social, clinical, and biological factors can advance health equity in CaP care for Black men.