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Wift Cljarlotte
LIFE
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2003
Study shows
racial split
with same
treatments
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DURHAM - Although
black men and white men
get the same kind of treat
ment for prostate cancer, a
University of North Carolina
study shows that black men
stiU don’t hve as long.
Black patients who had
surgical treatment had a
median survival time of 10.8
years, compared with 12.6
years for white men getting
the same treatment, the
study said.
The study in the Journal of
the National Cancer
Institute involved 5,747
black men and 38,242 white
men with cancer confined to
the prostate.
The difference was smaller
for those who got radiation
therapy, at 0.7 years, and
one year for those who chose
neither approach, generally
called "watchful waiting.”
The study, published Nov.
19, was led by Paid Godley,
UNC associate professor of
medicine and epidemiology,
who is also a member of the
Lineberger Comprehensive
Cancer Center and leader of
the UNC Program on
Ethnicity, Culture and
Health Outcomes.
"There have been some
studies showing black men
didn’t get prostate surgery
as often as white men,” said
Godley. "That’s been seen
pretty consistently. But in
men treated the same, we’re
looking at differing outcome
data.
"Certainly, I’m interested
in why men and their sur
geons make different deci
sions. But with the results of
this study, we’re interested
in finding out if there’s a dif
ference in the quality of
treatment received by blacks
and whites.”
Godley’s study included
help from researchers from
UNC’s schools of medicine
and public health, the
Medical Review of North
Carolina and Massachusetts
General Hospital. They
merged the National Cancer
Institute’s Surveillance,
Epidemiology, and End
Results data with Medicare
file information to compile
their findings.
Only about one-fourth of
the nearly 190,000 prostate
cancers diagnosed in the
United States last year had
spread beyond the gland,
located in the lower
Please see UNC STUDY/3B
Stories to
warm the soul
By Artdlia Burch
arteUia.burch@thecharloi(epo.st.com
“Chicken Soup for the Soul,” the New
York Times best-selling book series, is
seeking stories to include in “Chicken
Soup for the African American Soul.”
The publishers of the book want writ
ers to send submissions of heart-warm
ing, insightful and powerfully stories
about the African-American experience
or about an African American.
The stories should inspire, provoke
emotion, display humor humorous.
Chicken Soup stories are true accounts
that open the heart and re-kindle the
spirit.
There’s a catch. They are not looking
for stories about overcoming racism
and oppression-but rather for stories
about an important or magical momfent
in a person’s life.
“A good Chicken Soup story will
make you laugh, cry happy tears, give
you goose bumps or leave you inspired
and uplifted,” said Eve Hogan, senior
editor of “Chicken Soup for the African
American Soul.”
Hogan says it was time for the
African American community to be fea
tured in the Chicken Soup series.
‘This community deserves to be hon
ored,” she said. “We want to celebrate
and honor this community. We also
want to give other people the opportu
nity to learn from this community.
These stories will educate and inspire
people who normally aren’t able to
have a glimpse into the African
American community. This book will
give a deep soul touching understand
ing of the African American. It will
allow the reader to be able to connect
heart to heart to African Americans.
“I had some of the stories with me on
a plane and I was reading them. A
white gentleman beside me asked me
what I was reading and I let him read
some of the stories. The man cried after
See CHICKEN/2B
Children face a dilemma when they want to fit in but don’t
By Samantha Critchell
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Most chil
dren just want to fit in. They
want to blend into the cafete
ria crowd, walking, talking
and dressing like their peers,
and never to be singled out
for reasons good or bad.
It’s understandable, then,
that shopping ranks as a
traumatic experience if chil
dren are taller, huskier or
heavier than their friends
and can’t wear similar
clothes or even use the same
stores.
This is where self-image
problems start, according to
Emme, a plus-size model,
fashion designer and author.
A lot of children who fall
into the plus-size category
are there because they are
athletes or enjoyed early
growing spurts, but even
knowing those logical causes
and effects often doesn’t
soothe youngsters’ delicate
psyches.
“I was a swimmer, a diver,
and I got a four-year scholar
ship for rowing, but that did
n’t make me feel better when
my button-down shirts would
pull because my back was so
broad,” Emme says.
“Not being able to feel cool
and hip could push some kids
over the edge” toward eating
disorders, she adds.
Parents and a handful of
retailers who are offering
stylish clothes in larger sizes
can make the difference in
getting these children
through a very difficult time.
Some youngsters realize
they are full figured, some
don’t, says Emme, but par
ents can gently steer them
toward properly fitting
clothes without putting a
label on them.
“Parents shouldn’t make it
an issue of the body but
should make it an issue of the
clothes. If (a child’s) clothes
are ill-fitting, make an
appointment with him or her.
Say, ‘I think it’s time for a
mom-and-daughter shopping
spree.”’
J.C. Penney has offered
plus-size clothes for children
for the past 10 years and it’s
a part of the business that
continues to grow, says Lana
Cain Krauter, executive vice
president and merchandising
manager of the company’s
men’s and children’s divi
sions.
“Statistics show our chil
dren are getting larger.... We
have a much more diverse
face to our population that we
need to respond to,” she says.
See CHILDREN/2B
Family Affair’ has rich character texture
By Artellia Burch
anellia.burch@thecharlottepos!.com
Marcus Major, best-seUing author of “Aman
Most Worthy,” “Good Peoples” and “Four
Guys and Trouble” has added another book to
his collection.
And it’s hot.
Major’s new book “A Family Affair” was
great. I read the book from cover to cover in 24
hours.
What I Hked most about this book is the
richness of its characters. The story was told
in a manner that I felt like I understood the
psyche of every person in the story. Even
down to the gold digger Stacy.
Plus some of Major’s characters from previ
ous books resurfaced. If you haven’t read
some of his early works don’t let that be a con
cern. 'This tale stands on its own you will be
able to follow the crew without any difficulty.
The story is centered on Peg and Leonard
Moore, the head of the Moore family. And the
drapia starts therfe. Leonard decided that after
beiiig married for 39 years he’s going to have
an affair with a httle young thing, named
Stacy. Before he knows it he’s
caught up, spending money,
slipping out of family func
tions and hanging out late to
please his mistress. Leonard
actually believes his behavior is unnoticed
until one of his son’s friends catches him on
one of his rendezvous.
Now, that’s when the stuff hits the fan.
Well, let me changed that. That’s when the
stuff hits one of the fans.
Major is such a great writer he has other sto
Book
Review
ries going on at the same time that keep
you just as engaged as the main plot.
If use familiar with Major’s work you
already now his stories are tactful and full
of humor. Trust me “A Family Affair”
sticks with his style. Except there is
groivth in his writing since “Good
Peoples.”
Major deals with affairs of the heart,
adultery, child abandonment, family
dynamics between a father and his sons
plus a bulk load of other stuff.
Although the topics “A Family Affair”
touches are serious Major handles the
issues in a manor that is light and full of
insight.
Td recommend this book to someone who
wants to snuggle up with a great book.
I consider “A Family Affair” a must read.
a family affair