American Cancer Society Expert Testifies on Importance of Prostate Cancer Awareness

Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2010 – Reducing the number of prostate cancer cases and deaths in America and addressing the disease’s disproportionate impact on African American men requires a sustained commitment to cancer research funding, testified Otis Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today.

“Researchers are making notable progress in every area of prostate cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and care,” Brawley said during his testimony. “Our continued success in conquering prostate cancer is directly tied to our sustained commitment to adequately fund cancer research. Despite recent advances, researchers still have many questions unanswered, including determining which prostate cancers detected through screening are likely to become deadly and why there are drastic differences in incidence and mortality between African Americans and whites.”

The American Cancer Society this week issued newly updated prostate cancer screening guidelines that reaffirm the recommendation that men should discuss the uncertainties, risks and potential benefits of screening for prostate cancer before deciding whether to be tested. The guidelines recommend that men at average risk should receive this information from their health care provider beginning at age 50, and that men at higher risk, including African American men, receive this information earlier.

The new guidelines were created as part of the Society’s regular guidelines update process, and included a series of systematic reviews focusing on the latest evidence related to the early detection of prostate cancer, screening test performance, harms of therapy for localized prostate cancer, and shared and informed decision making in prostate cancer screening.

Brawley’s testimony focused on the screening guidelines and on other areas that are fundamental for improving prostate cancer outcomes in this country, including:

• increasing federal investment in cancer research to develop more effective prevention, diagnostic, and treatment tools to fight the disease
• addressing disparities in prostate cancer incidence and health outcomes
• improving access to quality care by passing meaningful health care reform that improves access to insurance coverage and lowers the costs of care

The hearing, which focused on prostate cancer screening and awareness, featured testimony from lawmakers, medical experts, and advocates.

Among men in the United States, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death. This year in the United States, an estimated 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 27,000 men will die from the disease.

Cancer in all of its forms is one of the most costly medical conditions. A recent survey by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) showed that half of people under age 65 with a history of cancer had difficulty affording medical costs in the previous year, and more than a quarter have used up all or most of their personal savings. 

Continued progress in the fight against cancer requires early diagnosis and timely access to medical care that gives all cancer patients an equal opportunity to battle this disease. Meaningful health care reform that promotes prevention and wellness and ensures quality of life throughout disease-directed treatment into survivorship will help change these statistics.

“We believe that a health system that works well for cancer patients, survivors, and those at risk for cancer, will also work well for all Americans who may one day be faced with a serious medical condition,” Brawley said. “Continued progress in the fight against cancer requires early diagnosis and timely access to medical care that gives all cancer patients an equal opportunity to battle this disease. To help accomplish this, meaningful health care reform must happen now.”

Brawley is a practicing oncologist and the chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society. A world renowned cancer expert, Brawley currently serves as professor of hematology, oncology, and epidemiology at Emory University. Previously, he held the position of medical director of the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, and deputy director for cancer control at Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University. He has also previously served as a member of the Society’s Prostate Cancer Committee, co-chaired the Surgeon General’s Task Force on Cancer Health Disparities, and served in a variety of capacities at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), most recently serving as director of the Office of Special Populations Research. He currently serves as a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection and Control Advisory Committee.

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Christina Saull or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 585-3250 or (202) 661-5771
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]