Bayer Kicks Off Prostate Cancer Awareness Month with Baseball Great Ken Griffey Sr. and Men Who Speak Up

Griffey Sr. and Bayer to attend eight advocacy community events nationwide to raise awareness of advanced prostate cancer symptoms

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Bayer

Sep 09, 2016, 08:30 ET

WHIPPANY, N.J., Sept. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- To honor Prostate Cancer Awareness Month this September and support the community, Bayer is hitting the road with Men Who Speak Up spokesman, baseball legend and prostate cancer survivor Ken Griffey Sr., to empower men to speak up about the warning signs of advancing disease, such as fatigue and difficulty performing normal activities.^1,2 Prostate Cancer Awareness Month was established to increase public awareness of prostate cancer and encourage men to play an active role in their health. Unfortunately, too few men are speaking up when the disease advances.

"Prostate cancer means a lot to me personally, having lost four uncles to the disease and recently learning of my brother's diagnosis," said Griffey Sr., the former Cincinnati Reds outfielder and three-time All-Star. "Every place I go with Men Who Speak Up, I meet someone who speaks up and shares their prostate cancer story with me. Others thank me for the reminder to be more vocal. Some people haven't ever spoken up. We have to change that, and we're seeing the change start to happen right before our eyes. I can't wait to get out into the community during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month."

Griffey Sr. and his son, baseball Hall-of-Famer Ken Griffey Jr., joined Men Who Speak Up on World Cancer Day 2016. Since then, the Griffeys have engaged with the prostate cancer community across the country, and have used their family's story to reach men everywhere about advanced prostate cancer.

"I'm proud to support my father and the Men Who Speak Up movement," said Griffey Jr. "I'm glad Dad spoke up about prostate cancer when he did, and that he's still here for our family today. I wish I could be with him at the events this fall, but I'll be with him in spirit and taking time this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to remind my own family and friends about the importance of speaking up about advanced prostate cancer."

Bayer and Griffey Sr. will attend the following events this fall:

Prostate Cancer Research Institute's Prostate Cancer Conference (September 10, Los Angeles): Educational sessions on the latest prostate cancer research (http://pcri.org/2016-conference);
Us TOO International's 12th Annual SEA Blue Prostate Cancer Walk & Run (September 11, Chicago): Educational presentations, free PSA testing, honorary walk, and 5K race in Lincoln Park (http://www.seablueprostatewalk.org);
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Health and Wellness Luncheon (September 14, Washington, D.C.): Panel discussions about healthcare issues affecting the African-American community
Prostate Health Education Network's African-American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit (September 16, Washington, D.C.): Focused on prostate cancer challenges affecting the African-American community (http://prostatehealthed.org/page.php?id=265);
ZERO Prostate Cancer Run/Walk Events (September 18, San Antonio; September 25, Baltimore; October 15, Cincinnati; November 12, San Francisco): Annual local run/walk series to help make prostate cancer a national priority (http://zerocancer.org/challenge/run).

"Men with advanced prostate cancer have options, but doctors must first know the disease has progressed to give them the help they need," said Shannon Campbell, vice president and general manager of Oncology at Bayer. "During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, our goal is to help raise awareness not only with the general public about the disease, but also help men who are living with the disease engage in a dialogue with their own doctors about any symptoms they experience that may be related to their prostate cancer."

About Men Who Speak Up
For men with advancing prostate cancer, symptoms like fatigue or discomfort can be a sign that something needs to be done.^1,2 Men Who Speak Up is a nationwide movement that brings the symptoms of advancing prostate cancer to life for the community, so that men know when to speak up and take action against their disease. The program raises the collective voices of prostate cancer – the doctors who treat it, the patients and caregivers who live it, and the advocacy groups who support them – and delivers informational tools and resources to those who need them most. For more information, visit www.MenWhoSpeakUp.com.

About Advanced Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the U.S. and the second leading cause of cancer death in men, as approximately one in 39 will die from the disease.^1,3 It is estimated that approximately 180,890 men will be diagnosed with, and 26,120 men will die from, prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2016.^1,3 The stage of prostate cancer is one of the most important factors in determining treatment options and the outlook for recovery.¹ If prostate cancer spreads, or metastasizes, beyond the prostate gland, it often first grows into nearby tissues or lymph nodes before spreading to the bones.¹ Approximately nine in 10 (90 percent) patients with advanced prostate cancer develop bone metastases, impacting survival and quality of life.^4,5,6 Therefore, diagnosing and treating bone metastases at the earliest onset is critical for patients.¹

Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

Forward-Looking Statement
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

¹ American Cancer Society. Prostate cancer. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/cid/documents/webcontent/003134-pdf.pdf. Accessed August 15, 2016.
²National Cancer Institute. Prostate cancer treatment–patient version (PDQ®). Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/patient/prostate-treatment-pdq#section/all. Accessed August 15, 2016.
³American Cancer Society. Cancer facts & figures 2016. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/documents/document/acspc-047079.pdf. Accessed August 15, 2016.
⁴Park JC, Eisenberger MA. Advances in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1719-1733.
⁵ Jin JK, Dayyani F, Gallick GE. Steps in prostate cancer progression that lead to bone metastasis. Int J Cancer. 2011;128(11): 2545-2561.
⁶ Goh P, Harris K, Napolskikh J, et al. New multidisciplinary prostate bone metastases clinic: first of its kind in Canada. Curr Oncol. 2007;14(1):9-12.