An important conversation for men! September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Released on = January 24, 2005, 11:11 am

Press Release Author = Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR)

Industry = Healthcare

Press Release Summary = Sept. 24, 2004 -- September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) and the Georgia Cancer Coalition want men, their families, friends and colleagues to become educated about
prostate cancer.

Press Release Body = ATLANTA (GA) – September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) and the Georgia Cancer Coalition want men, their families, friends and colleagues to become educated about prostate cancer. It is recommended that men in high-risk groups including African American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer get checked at age 45 and then get educated on the issues surrounding prostate cancer detection and treatment.
Being educated allows men to be a partner in the decision making process.

“I encourage all men especially African American men to talk to their doctors about getting checked,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., director of the DHR Division of Public Health. “Working with your doctor and making informed decisions
around the issues of detection, treatment and management of prostate health is important.”

“For men, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death,” said Dr. Otis Brawley, medical director of the Georgia Cancer Center of Excellence at Grady Health System. “Unfortunately, the time effectiveness of prostate cancer screening and treatment are still unknown.
Georgians, especially African-American men, must learn about the specifics of prostate cancer, so they will be able to determine what is best for them individually when it comes to detecting and combating the disease. Not only are African-American men more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than the
general population, but they are also almost three times more likely to die from it.”

There are some well established risk factors associated with prostate cancer: age- chances of developing prostate cancer rapidly increase after age 50; family history- having a relative with prostate cancer increases the risk for developing prostate cancer; and race- African-American men are more likely to develop prostate cancer, are more likely to be diagnosed in an advanced stage and are more likely to die from it.

The Department of Human Resources recommends that men discuss the potential benefits, side effects and questions regarding early prostate cancer detection and treatment with their doctors in order to make informed decisions about prostate
cancer testing.

For additional information about prostate cancer or for physician referrals and other resources, please call 1-800-4-CANCER or log onto www.cancer.org.

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Web Site = http://www.cancer.org

Contact Details = For information, contact:
Richard Quarterone
DHR, Division of Public Health
404/463-4627
rquartarone@dhr.state.ga.us