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Information
Awareness
Prostate Cancer is a major public health threat, with approximately 220,000 men likely to be diagnosed this year, and an estimated 28,900 who will die from it (American Cancer Society, 2000). It is vitally important that everyone be aware of and educated about early screening and prevention.
The facts:
- One in every six men will get prostate cancer sometime in his life.
- The chances of getting prostate cancer are one in three if you have just one close relative (father, brother) with the disease. The risk is five-fold with two close relatives. With three, it’s an almost certainty (97%) that you’ll get prostate cancer.
- African American men are at special risk for the disease. They have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world. In fact, the incidence rate in African Americans is 60% higher than in white males and double the mortality rate.
- Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male cancer death in the U.S. An American man dies every 18 minutes from the disease.
- Before the advent of early detection through PSA screening, about ¾ of all prostate cancer cases were found in the late stages where the disease isn’t readily treatable or curable. Since widespread use of screening, about ¾ of all cases are now found early – giving men a fighting chance.
What can you do?
Get screened!
The American Cancer Society recommends having an annual PSA (prostate-specific
antigen) blood test and a digital rectal exam (DRE) of the prostate every
year, beginning at age 50.
Men who are in high risk groups such as African Americans or men who have a
history of prostate cancer in close family members, should begin screenings
at age 46.
The following websites are excellent sources for further information on prevention, screening, early detection, and treatment of prostate cancer:
The American Cancer Society
The Center for Disease
Control
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Where To Get Help
A trusted physician who is familiar with the
particular details of your case should be your first and
foremost source of information and advice. Nonetheless,
for those who desire additional information, there are a
number of organizations dedicated to helping patients
and their families cope with prostate cancer. These
agencies not only provide information and counseling, but in some cases may
provide financial aid and transportation to a medical
facility for treatment.
The following is a list of national organizations,
businesses and medical centers that provide information
and services for prostate cancer patients. Each entry
gives the current address and phone number, programs sponsored by the
organization, and a brief description.
For information on local support groups, contact the
social service office of a local hospital, or write or
call one of the national cancer information services
that follow.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
1599 Clifton Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30329
(800) ACS-2345;
The American Cancer Society is involved in education and
research, and offers counseling and other patient
services. The Society consists of more than 3000 local
chapters across the United States.
American Foundation of Urologic Disease (AFUD)
300 West Pratt Street, Suite 401
Baltimore, MD 21201-2463
(800) 242-2383
Offers information on treatment options for prostate
cancer, helps patients locate support groups, and
distributes free publications on prostate cancer.
American Institute
for Cancer Research (AICR)
1759 R Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(800) 843-8114; (202) 328-7744 in Washington, DC
The AICR supports research in provides public education
in the area of diet, nutrition and cancer. A variety of
publications are available. AICR also sponsors a
national support group program through a Pen Pal
Directory.
C.R. Bard, Inc.
(800) 977-6733
Distributor of TheraSeed© Palladium 103 and Iodine 125.
Their medical services support department will send
literature on seeding.
Best Medical International, Inc.
(800) 336-4970
Manufacturer of Iridium 192, Palladium 103, and other
related brachytherapy products.
Bostwick Laboratories
4355 Innslake Drive
Glen Allen, VA 23060
(866) 816-4793;
Bostwick Labs is a pathology reference laboratory
providing premium service to physicians, patients, and
managed care organizations. Current research and
information on biopsy pathology available through their
website.
Cancer Information Service (CIS)
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Building 31, Room 10A24
9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20892
(800) 4-CANCER
A governmental service that provides information by
telephone and via Web site to cancer patients, the
public, and health care professionals. Trained staff
members can provide information on current treatments,
cancer prevention, and the nearest Comprehensive Cancer
Center. The National Cancer Institute also supplies a
wide variety of written materials to answer questions
about cancer. The PDQ, or PhysicianData Query, is a
computer information system that provides doctors and
patients with the latest information on clinical trials
and their results. The Cancer Information Service will
provide a copy of the PDQ to anyone who requests it.
Dattoli Cancer Center
2803 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237
(877) 328-8654 toll free
The Dattoli Cancer Center & Brachytherapy Research
Institute specializes in combined treatment modalities
for prostate cancer that often pairs brachytherapy with
Image-Guided Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IG-IMRT).
The Dattoli Cancer Center is the sponsor of the
not-for-profit Dattoli Cancer Foundation.
Eat to Beat Prostate Cancer
Recipe ideas, newsletter, valuable nutritional information provided by prostate cancer survivor and author David Ricketts.
International Cancer Alliance (ICARE)
4853 Cordell Ave., Ste 14
Bethesda, MD 20814
(800) 422-7361
A non-profit organization which provides high-quality,
focused, user-friendly cancer information to each
patient. Includes prostate patient experience stories.
Loma Linda Medical Center
Jerry D. Slater M.D.
Proton Treatment Center, 11234 Anderson Street, Loma
Linda, CA 92354
(909) 824-4288; (800) 496-4966, USA only
Loma Linda University in southern California is the site
of the Loma Linda Proton Treatment Center, built in
1991. The Loma Linda center and Massachusetts General
Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts are currently the
only operational hospital facilities that offer proton
therapy for the treatment of cancer. Contact the Loma
Linda staff for more information on this therapy.
Medical Word Search
Search for information on medical topics. Nominal annual
membership fee required.
National Association for Continence
P.O. Box 8306, Spartansburg, SC 29305
(800) 252-3337, (843) 377-0900
Formerly Help for Incontinent People (HIP), the National
Association for Continence is a nonprofit organization
that provides information and services to those
suffering from
incontinence problems.
National Cancer Institute Cancer Information
Services
Office of Cancer Communications
Building 31, Room 10A31
Bethesda, MD 20892-2580
(800) 422-6237
One of the most comprehensive cancer information sources
available. The NCI will provide many free publications
on requested topics, or you may speak to a cancer
information specialist. Links to other relevant sites.
ONCOLINK – University of Pennsylvania Cancer
Center
A comprehensive site for information on all types of
cancer
Patient Advocates for Advanced Cancer Treatments (PAACT)
1143 Parmelee NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 453-1477
A nonprofit organization for both patients and
physicians that promotes an understanding of prostate
cancer, its diagnosis and therapeutic treatment. PAACT
has a database on thousands with prostate cancer, and
readily provides information concerning treatment
options by telephone and email to those diagnosed with
prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Foundation
1250 Fourth St
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310/570-4700; (800) 757-CURE (2873)
info@prostatecancerfoundation.org
Funds research to find better treatments for prostate
cancer. Provides news and information on clinical
studies, research projects, and nutritional info.
Prostate Cancer Information and Resources
Prostate cancer news and alerts, drug information,
discussion groups. Links to current abstracts, PubMed.
Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI)
5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 885, Los Angeles, CA 90045
Helpline: 310-743-2110
The Prostate Cancer Research Institute is a non-profit
organization that offers information to patients and
physicians.
TAP Pharmaceutical,
Inc.
675 North Field Drive, Lake Forest IL 60045
(800) 622-2011
TAP Pharmaceutical is the manufacturer of Lupron, the
major brand name of the LHRH analogs, used to block
testosterone production. The company will gladly send
information on prostate cancer and the use of Lupron to
interested callers.
Theragenics Corporation
5325 Oakbrook Parkway Norcross, GA 30093
(800) 458-4372
Theragenics is the manufacturer of the radioactive
palladium 103 seeds used in brachytherapy for the
treatment of prostate cancer. The company supplies
information to those interested in knowing more about
the seed implantation procedure and Theragenics’
products. Theragenics will also refer interested
patients to a physician who offers the seed implantation
treatment in their general area.
US TOO Support Groups
US TOO, Inc. 5003 Fairview Avenue, Downers Grove, IL
60515
(630) 795-1002; PCa Support Hotline: (800) 80-US-TOO
The mission of US TOO, a support group sponsored by the
American Foundation for Urologic Disease, is to provide
counseling, fellowship, and support to cancer patients
and their families. Contact the national headquarters of
US TOO at the address and number above to find out where
your nearest US TOO chapter is located.
Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
1678 S. Pioneer Road, Salt Lake City UT 84104
(800) 432-4422
Varian specializes in integrated cancer therapy systems,
including Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy and
brachytherapy.
Web MD
An interactive health information service developed for
people with chronic and serious illnesses with a section
devoted to prostate cancer.
The Wellness Community
919 18th St. NW, Suite 54, Washington, DC 20006
(888) 793-WELL (9355)
A national, not-for-profit organization offering a
variety of support programs for cancer patients and
their family members. All services are free of charge
and include support groups, educational programs, and
stress management. 20 locations throughout the U.S.,
Japan, and Israel.
ZERO — The End of Prostate Cancer
(202) 463-9455
Awareness, outreach and advocacy.
Internet Resources
The following is a list of specialized Web sites
devoted to prostate cancer and other relevant
information and support:
American Cancer Society
Astra Zeneca
Pharmaceuticals
Brotherhood of the Balloon—Proton Therapy Info and
Support
Canadian Prostate
Cancer Network
Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(National Institutes of Health)
Cancerfacts.com – Support Groups
Cancer Links
Center for Prostate Disease Research
Chemocare.com
The Circle
The Education Center for Prostate Cancer Patients
Florida Prostate Cancer Education Network
The Health Supplements Information Service
The Hypertext Guide to Prostate Cancer
IceBalls (cryosurgery patients)
IHCRP – U.S. Guide to Getting and Keeping Health
Insurance
International Cancer Alliance
800-ICARE-61
Life Extension Foundation
800-544-4440
Malecare: lecture transcripts, English and Spanish
New York City support groups
MultiGraph: your medical history in graphic form,
free from PC-REF
Contact John Fistere at
JFistere@cox.net
National Association for Continence
800-252-3337
National Cancer Institute’s Prostate Cancer Home Page
National Physician & Family Referral Project—PCa in
African-American Men
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
NeedyMeds: Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
Office of Dietary Supplements (National Institutes of
Health)
Patient Advocate Foundation – Advice on Financial,
Insurance and Employment issues
Patients Helping Patients
Physician-to-Patient and Patient-to-Patient Web sites
Phoenix5
PPML website
PPML archives
Prostate Cancer Action Network (PCAN)
Prostate Cancer InfoLink Archive
Prostate Cancer information provided by Charles Myers,
MD
Prostate Cancer Foundation: (Formerly CAPCURE)
Prostate Cancer Profiler
Prostate Cancer
Research and Education Foundation (PC-REF)
The Prostate Net
(201) 868-7793p
Prostate Pointers
PSA Rising Magazine
Pubmed search—a comprehensive listing of research
studies and published papers
SeedPods (brachytherapy patients)
Urologychannel PCa Resources
US Too! International
(800) 808-7866
The Wellness Community
WellnessWeb Prostate Cancer Center
You Are Not Alone
Internet Mail Lists
Prostate Problems Mailing
List (PPML)
A general list of prostate cancer patients sharing
information and experiences.
Physician to Patient (P2P)
A list that
provides patients an avenue to post questions for
physicians.
Prostate Pointers
Many specialized mail
lists for various aspects of prostate cancer.
Patients Helping
Patients
Many specialized mail
lists for various aspects of prostate cancer.
HormoneRefractoryPCa.org
A
mail list for men with confirmed HRPC.
Newsletters
National Prostate Cancer Coalition (NPCC)
Newsletter
PCRI Insights
(310) 743-2110
The Prostate Forum
(800)
305-2432
Prostate Cancer Communication (from
PAACT)
(616) 453-1477
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