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Prostate Cancer Foundation Bridges Knowledge Gap By Delivering Patient, Professional Editions of Report to Nation on Prostate Cancer

Posted on: Thursday, 8 September 2005, 12:00 CDT

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today released its inaugural Report to the Nation on Prostate Cancer: A Guide for Men and Their Families designed for patients and caregivers. In addition, the PCF released its second annual Report to the Nation on Prostate Cancer: Focus on Advanced Disease specifically for the medical community.

The guides were released at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. at 10 a.m. EDT.

One in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. This year, more than 232,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and as the baby boomer generation ages into the target zone, we can expect the number of diagnoses to jump 40 to 50 percent in the next decade.

As part of a nationwide effort to promote awareness and education during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the Guides were developed to assist both the professional community and the nearly 2 million men currently battling prostate cancer, to navigate the often challenging treatment decision-making process. Both Guides were authored and edited by leading prostate cancer specialists from around the country.

Benefits of Patient Guide:

-- The main goal of the Patient Guide is to empower men with prostate cancer and their families to become active members of the treatment "team," which is achieved by offering them the same information as the physicians, but written specifically in an easy- to-read format.

-- The Patient Guide balances practical tips with the latest information on treatment innovations and developments in the field of prostate cancer care, and includes tear-out sheets and wallet- sized cards listing issues to consider and important questions for men to ask their physicians at each stage of disease.

The Patient Guide addresses common questions, such as:

-- How do I know if I should choose radiation therapy or surgery for my initial treatment?

-- What are the latest innovations in treatment delivery that I should ask my doctor?

-- Why is it important to monitor my PSA level when I have prostate cancer?

-- What do I need to know about how hormone therapy works?

-- How can chemotherapy help me?

-- Are there new drugs on the market, or that are being tested, that might help me?

-- What kinds of side effects can I expect from each treatment option and how can I minimize the way they affect my life?

The Professional Guide titled Report to the Nation on Prostate Cancer: Focus on Advanced Disease is the second in the series for healthcare professionals. The Professional Guide provides a comprehensive review of the most current treatment strategies for patients in each of the different states of advanced disease. It uses a case-study approach, enabling clinicians to review real- world decision-making by some of the leading prostate cancer experts in the world. Within the case studies, these experts discuss the application of clinical trial data and to how to incorporate these data into clinical practice. Importantly, this format demonstrates how to initiate an effective dialogue among all the various specialists treating patients with the disease.

Professional Guide Calls to Action:

-- Establish clear standards for determining when prostate cancer has advanced. This will enable clinicians to recognize earlier the signs of progressing disease and identify optimal timing for the initiation of treatment.

-- Identify patients who might benefit most from earlier initiation of therapy. Strategies to identify patients who are most likely to progress to metastatic disease are essential so that early and aggressive therapy can be implemented.

-- Encourage patients to enroll in clinical trials. Finding better treatments for advanced prostate cancer will only be realized through enrollment of motivated patients in clinical trials at every stage of the disease.

-- Coordinate a multidisciplinary approach to treating prostate cancer at all stages of disease. Collaboration among the various prostate cancer specialists will ensure that all available treatment options are fully explored so that an optimal treatment plan can be implemented.

Commenting on the release of the two Guides, Leslie Michelson, PCF chief executive officer, stated the following, "If we are to achieve our mission of finding better treatments and a cure for prostate cancer, it is critical that we disseminate information on the latest research and treatment advances to the two million men currently battling the disease and to the specialists treating these men. The Report to the Nation initiative creates a new communication channel between researchers, practitioners, physicians and men with prostate cancer, so they can work together to find the treatment approach that's right for each man suffering from prostate cancer."

To obtain copies of the Guides, please call 800-757-CURE, or visit http://www.prostatecancerfoundation.org

PHOTOS OF PRESS CONFERENCE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation is the world's largest philanthropic source of support for prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, the PCF has raised more than $230 million and provided funding for prostate cancer research to more than 1,200 researchers at 100 institutions worldwide. PCF has a simple, yet urgent goal: to find better treatments and a cure for recurrent prostate cancer. For more information, please visit http:// www.prostatecancerfoundation.org.

CONTACT:

PCF - Sarah Z. Evans, 310-633-3012, sevans(At)rostatecancerfoundation.org

Patient Guide - Carlyn Foster, 415-901-0111 ext. 328, cfoster(At)fenton.com

Professional Guide - Justin Jackson, 212-213-0006, jjackson(At)burnsmc.com

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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