Top Points:
· September 16 – 22, 2007 is Prostate Cancer Awareness Week.

· Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in the American men, other than skin cancer.

· The American Cancer Society estimates that during 2007, about 218,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S.

· An estimated 27,050 men in the U.S. will die from prostate cancer in 2007.

· If prostate cancer is caught early and does not spread, a great majority (more than 95 percent) of patients will be cured. However, if prostate cancer does spread and extends beyond the prostate, the chance of cure decreases dramatically.

· While being diagnosed with prostate cancer can be a frightening experience, the good news is the earlier that prostate cancer is detected; the better your changes are of being successfully treated.

· If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the College of American Pathologists has developed a new patient information Web site, www.MyBiopsy.org, to help you better understand this disease.

· Visitors to www.MyBiopsy.org can find answers to their questions about prostate cancer; available treatment options; questions they should ask their doctors; a glossary of key terms, as well as pictures of normal and diseased cells.


· As a pathologist, I diagnose prostate cancer everyday in the laboratory, and know that no one wants to receive this diagnosis, even if it is not life threatening. To help those who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, or know someone who has been diagnosed, to better understand this disease and evaluate possible treatment options, the College of American Pathologists has developed a new patient information Web site, www.MyBiopsy.org.

Supporting Points:
· Early prostate cancer can be identified by screening exams that include a digital rectal exam and by blood testing for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) – tests covered by Medicare for all males older than age 50.

· The CAP recommends that screening for prostate cancer using digital rectal examination and PSA should be discussed with men after age 50. Patients should assess the risks and benefits associated with screening and the resulting diagnostic procedures (transrectal ultrasound, biopsy) with their physicians. For African-American men and men with a strong family history of prostate cancer, the discussion should occur earlier than 50 years of age.

· Pathologists, physicians who study tissues and cells to identify and diagnose disease, know that prostate cancer screening isn't appropriate for everyone. For example, screening should not be offered to older patients without symptoms, or to patients with other significant disease where definitive treatment would carry significant risk.

· For patients being followed on a screening program, the rate of change of PSA over time (so-called PSA velocity) is of value in determining which patients are likely to have significant prostate cancer. If you are being screened in this way, be sure to verify with your doctor that the PSA tests are done using the same test method, as results can vary.

· Regardless of the schedule established, men are encouraged to have annual visits to their primary care physician or other health professional for age-appropriate health screening examinations.

· For more information about men’s health issues, visit www.cap.org.

Updated 8/3/2007