Detroit doctor’s research on prostate cancer saves lives

DETROIT – At the age of 80, dr. Issac Powell to retire, instead of still working and having surgery every day.

Powell, a doctor of urological oncology at Karmanos Cancer Institute, specializes in prostate cancer. He and his team believe they have discovered a set of cancer genes that are expressed differently in black men, meaning that there are racial differences in prostate cancer when it comes to screening, prognosis and mortality. Powell said it also makes the cancer more aggressive in black men.

Local 4 set Dr. Powell for Black History Month as a change in our community. He shared with us his successes in the field and the challenges he became a doctor, including systemic racism, something he faced most of his life.

MORE: Stories about the black history month

Powell grew up in Gary, Indiana, and always knew he wanted to study medicine.

When he started at the University of Michigan in 1958, he realized the racism he had experienced in his high school years had left him unprepared.

‘When I arrived in Michigan, I realized I was not as well prepared as my classmates because of my background and in high school. I went to a school that was just integrated, and they were not interested in teaching black children. I was never admitted to the preparation class. My chemistry teacher, even though I got the highest score on my national exams in chemistry, even suggested that I get a job in the steel mill because he did not think I would be successful at university. “It was therefore a devastating blow and it was my first fact, my first case of exposure to racism,” Powell said.

Despite that overt racism and explicit prejudice, he persevered. Since fair housing laws have not yet been created, it was a challenge to even find a place to live during his years in Ann Arbor.

‘In those days they could distinguish on the basis of race, and therefore they would honestly tell you that we do not rent to black people. They did not use such words, but other words at the time. So it was worrying. There were also professors who actually told me that I could never get a higher grade than a C in his class. And the kind of exams were written exams, so it was subjectively graded so he could be sure I would not get higher than a C, based on the way the exam was graded. So those are two experiences that I was very concerned about at the University of Michigan, Powell said.

Powell went to medical school and became a successful surgeon, thinking of himself as a leader in prostate cancer research. In particular how it affects black men compared to other ethnic groups. He has published more than 100 articles on the subject and studied for decades, but he is unable to obtain the necessary funding to advance his research.

He believes one reason is unconscious prejudice by people chosen to review and approve funds.

“Whether you are funded or not depends on who judges your grants. And most of the big grants, you know who is reviewing them and there has never been an African-American scientist, African-American scientists reviewing my awards. not except on one occasion, and that was because I insisted that I apply for this award to be an African-American reviewer, ‘Powell said.

Powell wants to retire soon and spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren, but he worries that there is no one who can do his job.

“I hate to go. “I hate leaving my patients because I know they will get into situations,” Powell said. “It is important that African Americans are treated by someone who looks like them. They are more likely to have more confidence in someone who looks like them. Unfortunately, there are not enough of us who look like our patients, and so this is another problem that is difficult to solve. ‘

‘I’m desperately trying to get someone replaced (me.). This is one of the reasons why I try to get an equipped chair, because it would at least be tempting for someone else to come and do what I do. do, ”Powell said.

Ken Hines is a patient and friend of Powell and has been for over five decades. Powell treated him for prostate cancer.

“It was relentless. “He was looking for additional doctors to continue the research in terms of all the efforts he had made on it, all the documentation and all the history he had,” Hines said.

Local 4 has dr. Powell asked if he sees himself as a change maker:

“Well, I think so. I hope so. I hope I save lives. “This is the most important thing I have ever wanted to do in medicine, to save lives,” Powell said. ‘I’m a decision maker related to prostate cancer and racial differences, so I think I’m changing the idea or ideas of the majority white health system, specifically urology, as it is related to cancer of African Americans. . ”

Powell has just been honored with a presidential quote from the American Urological Association, which is an honor in his field.

Dr. Powell was also profiled by Al Roker on NBC’s “Today” for Black History Month. Kimberly Gill and Roker recently talked about the changer. You can see the conversation in the video below.

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