Hampton University’s Proton Cancer Institute brought the Hampton Roads community together on September 12 for its fifth annual Prostate Cancer & Men’s Health Awareness Fair, expanding this year’s event to include five different cancer screenings focused on early detection and health education. Held at Hampton Proton Cancer Institute, the free community event brought together healthcare organizations, medical professionals and Hampton Roads residents for a morning focused on cancer awareness, prevention and access to health resources.
This year marked a milestone for the annual event, which began five years ago as an effort to connect men in the community with prostate cancer screenings. Since then, it has grown into a larger community health initiative serving hundreds of residents each year. In 2025, more than 500 community members attended the health fair, with 274 people pre-registering and 276 men receiving early detection prostate cancer screenings. That represented an increase from 195 pre-registrants and 136 prostate screenings the previous year.
Five Years. Five Cancer Screenings.
For its fifth year, Hampton Proton expanded the event beyond prostate cancer screening with its “5 for 5” focus, offering five early detection cancer screenings:
Prostate
Breast
Colorectal
Head & Neck
Skin
The expansion reflects the event’s broader focus on making cancer education, screening opportunities and healthcare resources accessible to the Hampton Roads community.
The event also brought together several healthcare organizations and community partners, giving attendees an opportunity to connect with medical professionals and learn more about resources available to support their health.
Continuing the Conversation Around Early Detection
While the health fair took place over the course of one morning, the conversations surrounding cancer screening and early detection extend far beyond the event. For Historically Black Since, the event provided an opportunity to speak with healthcare professionals and community members about why screening and health awareness remain important parts of taking control of your health.
Through interviews captured by our Hampton University student correspondent Amaya White, Historically Black Since spoke with members of the Hampton Proton team and attendees about their experiences at the event, the importance of health screenings and the need for continued conversations around cancer prevention and early detection.
The coverage is part of Historically Black Since’s continued effort to highlight initiatives taking place within HBCU communities and the broader Black community — particularly programs focused on education, health and community impact. As Hampton Proton continues its annual health awareness efforts, the message remains clear: conversations about cancer screening shouldn’t end when the health fair ends.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPLSPtAAT
