UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: The goal of this presentation is to describe how to use the Delphi Technique to develop messages related to prostate cancer screening that reflect the opinions and attitudes of various stakeholders (urologists, family practitioners, prostate cancer survivors, etc).

Methods: This session will present the The Delphi Technique as a methodology for achieving consensus about a specific issue using the example of developing messages for the general public. The Delphi Technique was adapted by the WV Prostate Initiative to develop messages related to prostate screening for the general public through an anonymous and non-confrontational process. The overall experience, individual steps, as well as final results will be outlined in this presentation.

Results: Final results of the Delphi Technique yielded the follwing consensus mesages relaed to prostate cancer screening:

1. “Men over age 50 should talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening. Being aware of your prostate and having it checked can save your life. Men with a family history of prostate cancer and African-American men should begin screening at an earlier age.” 2. “Health living means making sure you stay well by listening to your body, talking with your physician, and being screened for prostate cancer. While prostate cancer screening is a personal decision, being aware of your prostate and having it checked can save your life.” 3. “Family history and your race are important in the decision to be screened for prostate cancer. Blacks are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer. PSA is a screening test for prostate cancer.