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Doctor, patient form friendship after cancer diagnosis

It all came down to jerk chicken
Posted at 5:42 PM, Nov 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-22 18:42:07-05

It all came down to jerk chicken.

"After tasting his food, I was all the more determined to get Dwight through quickly," said Dr. Ken Jacobsohn of the Clinical Cancer Center and Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin.

When Dwight Jackson, owner and chef at Pepper Pot Catering, went for a routine screening, which resulted in a prostate cancer diagnosis, he walked into Jacobsohn's office ready to fight the same disease that took his father and grandfather. 

"Jamaica is one of the places where you find a lot of prostate cancer," Jackson explained.

He had two risk factors, his race and his family history. Jacobsohn said African-American men have a higher incidence of the cancer.

That's why Jackson made sure he got tested every year, starting young.

"Taking the step to get screened early means a chance to cure," Jacobsohn said. 

The American Cancer Society recommends screening for men with a family history or other risk factors beginning at age 40. All others at age 50. 

The right move for Jackson, according to his doctor, was surgery. He prepared and froze two weeks worth of food for his restaurant to continue serving up their chicken. He said his business drove him to stay healthy and get back in the kitchen.

"His smile is infectious, his culinary talents are impressive," Jacobsohn said.

Jackson said, with a laugh, the last thing he heard before going under anesthesia was Jacobsohn's voice asking if he brought jerk chicken.

Now, with every tray of chicken, Jackson serves up advice to men like him- get tested early and get a physical regularly.