For Our Fathers
Give America’s 64.3M Dads the Gift of Life
Prostate Conditions Education Council Encourages Prostate Cancer Screenings Every Father’s Day
Each Father’s Day, the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC) encourages families to give the men in their lives the gift of life by scheduling a screening for prostate cancer.
According to the PCEC’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (PCAW) Final Data Report, 61 percent of men know “a little” and 20 percent know nothing about prostate health. Staggering statistics considering American men face a one in six lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer.
“We are excited about the potential development of new, diagnostic tools to detect prostate cancer,” said Dr. David Crawford, Chair, Prostate Conditions Education Council
For more information on the PCA3 Test and to locate labs offering the test, click here.
“There is still much to be done in terms of public education on prostate health,” said Wendy Poage, President, Prostate Conditions Education Council. “There are approximately 64.3 million fathers in America, making Father’s Day a prime opportunity to start this live-saving conversation.”
Colin Powell, a father of three and prostate cancer survivor, is a spokesman of the PCEC and the Father’s Day Awareness Campaign. In a radio public service announcement, Powell encourages screenings and teaches fellow fathers about early detection and risk factors.
“I personally have battled prostate cancer and won,” Powell states. “Early detection is the best weapon we have against this silent killer.”
Colin Powell encourages screenings and teaches fellow fathers about early detection and risk factors. Click for more information.
Given the important role screening plays in early detection, a new molecular biomarker for PCA3 was introduced during the 2007 PCAW screening program. “The PCEC is currently evaluating its role in early detection, watching how it performs with and without PSA and other tests,” said Dr. David Crawford, Chair, Prostate Conditions Education Council.
Gen-Probe Incorporated is a national sponsor of the PCEC’s Father’s Day Awareness Campaign and sells PCA3 ASRs (Analyte Specific Reagents) to several highly specialized laboratories across the U.S. (i.e., labs which are CLIA certified for high complexity clinical testing). Currently, there are several labs that offer urine tests to identify the PCA3 gene, including: Bostwick Laboratories, Dianon Systems/LabCorp, OUR Labs, CARIS/MPI and Mosaic Diagnostics.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men. Estimates for 2008 indicate that more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed in the United States, and nearly 28,700 will die from the disease. African American men are twice as likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from the disease. The second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer, prostate cancer is often treatable if detected early. More information about prostate health is available at www.prostateconditions.org.
About the Prostate Conditions Education Council
A national organization committed to men’s health, the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC) is dedicated to saving lives through awareness and the education of men, the women in their lives, as well as the medical community about prostate cancer prevalence, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options, as well as other men’s health issues. The Council - comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate cancer advocates - aims to conduct nation wide screenings for men and perform research that will aid in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. More information is available at www.prostateconditions.org
