Mixed Messages Increase the Need for Prostate Cancer Awareness

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Based on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that men should not be tested for prostate cancer, ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer is urging men to become more educated about prostate cancer testing and treatment options in order to protect their health. The PSA test is currently the only means of early detection of prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death among American men.

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"There are many mixed messages floating around in the media, and ZERO is asking men to take their health into their own hands, instead of listening to the advice of a government panel that is encouraging them to ignore their health," said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. "It is critical that men take an active role in protecting their health by talking to their doctor and keeping up to date on new research and advances in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment."

Topping the list of mixed messages regarding prostate cancer testing is news that President Obama was tested for prostate cancer at his most recent physical in late October. Obama is a healthy 50-year-old who under the new USPSTF recommendations would not be eligible for prostate cancer testing. He was tested due to "an informed patient request," which reinforces the importance of a patient–doctor relationship.

In addition, while the American Cancer Society states on its website that it "recommends that men have a chance to make an informed decision with their health care provider about whether to be screened for prostate cancer," ACS Chief Medical Officer Otis Brawley publicly opposes early detection for prostate cancer. With the prediction that most insurance companies will not cover PSA tests based on the USPSTF recommendation, men will no longer be able to afford to make the informed decision to be tested for prostate cancer.

While every man has some level of risk for prostate cancer, certain factors make some men more susceptible than others. High risk factors for prostate cancer include age, race and family history.  Rates of prostate cancer in the U.S. are 60 percent higher among African-American men, and their mortality rate is two-and-a-half times that of Caucasian men. Men with a father or brother with prostate cancer have more than twice the risk of being diagnosed.

ZERO believes that all men, especially those with high risk factors, need to consider testing for prostate cancer in order to have the most information possible and make the best health decisions. Men should not be denied access to vital health information because it may lead to difficult decisions.

The period for public comment on the USPSTF draft recommendation closed on Nov. 8, and the USPSTF is expected to begin the process of finalizing the draft recommendation. Adding to the confusion and lack of transparency, no information has been provided to the public on the timeline or process for reviewing the public comments, and comments submitted have remained private and confidential.

To read ZERO's public comments to USPSTF, visit http://zerocancer.org/education/testing/USPSTF-recommendations/.

About ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer (www.zerocancer.org)

As ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer, we commit ourselves not only to reduce prostate cancer or alleviate the pain from the disease but to end it. We see a future where all men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer will be cured or manage their illness with good quality of life, with the support they need to minimize physical and emotional suffering and to cope effectively throughout their cancer journeys.

To accomplish our goal, we increase research funds from the federal government to find new treatments and we fund local grants to end prostate cancer through our national event series, the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. We conduct free testing through the Drive Against Prostate Cancer mobile testing program and educate patients, families and those at risk.

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Skip Lockwood: http://www.profnetconnect.com/skip_lockwood

SOURCE ZERO - The Project to End Prostate Cancer