Light the White House Blue for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Members of the Prostate Cancer Roundtable, consisting of America's Leading Prostate Cancer Organizations, are asking President Obama to place a blue ribbon on the White House and light the White House blue in the evenings in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September.

This visible show of support for prostate cancer awareness by the White House will be a major tribute to the 2.5 million men, and their family members, who are battling prostate cancer as survivors today. It will increase the level of consciousness and knowledge, which is so greatly needed to help save lives, among the tens of millions of other men at high risk for the disease.

Nationally, Prostate Cancer Roundtable organizations will host a variety of events to raise awareness of prostate cancer, including screenings, patient education seminars, health fairs, races, and panel discussions.  President Obama has issued a proclamation recognizing September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Congress is expected to pass a resolution in support of the month.

According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that one in six men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime.  Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States—accounting for one in every four new diagnoses each year—and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States.

Men have a lifetime risk of one in six, while African American men have a lifetime risk of one in five. In 2010, approximately 217,730 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and approximately 32,050 prostate cancer patients will die from the disease. Both of these number are up from 2009; 192,280 and 27,360 respectively.

Prostate cancer organizations endorsing this release are:

Ed Randall's Bat for the Cure – www.batforthecure.org

Malecare Prostate Cancer Support – www.malecare.com

Men's Health Network – www.menshealthnetwork.org

National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions – www.naspcc.org

Prostate Cancer Foundation – www.prostatecancerfoundation.org

Prostate Cancer International – www.pcainternational.org

Prostate Conditions Education Council – www.prostateconditions.org

Prostate Health Education Network – www.prostatehealthed.org

The Prostate Net – www.prostatenet.org

Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network – www.ustoo.org

Women Against Prostate Cancer – www.womenagainstprostatecancer.org

ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer – www.zerocancer.org

SOURCE America's Leading Prostate Cancer Organizations