Prostate Cancer Deaths Up 17 Percent

Testing debate to blame as mortality hits 10-year high

by Ashley Nagaoka | ZERO - The Project to End Prostate Cancer | 06.15.2010

Prostate cancer deaths are expected to jump 17 percent this year, according to estimates based on National Cancer Institute data. 

The alarming 2010 statistics, released just prior to Father’s Day, has ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer urging families to encourage Dad to get tested for the disease this Father's Day because prostate cancer is the second leading cancer among Amercan men.  

“If prostate cancer is diagnosed before it spreads, a patient has a 99 percent survival rate for five years,” ZERO Chief Operating Officer Jamie Bearse said.

“You can only diagnose cancer early through annual testing. This is the sad result of the PSA controversy created by the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. We need a better biomarker for the disease to distinguish slow growing tumors from deadly ones but in the meantime, we need to keep testing.” 

The new numbers predict a 17 percent jump in deaths and a more than 13 percent rise in diagnosed cases this year as compared to 2009.  It marks the greatest percentage increase since the mid-1990s.  

 *Predicted Number of Cases

Source: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

“The American Cancer Society claims it’s the official sponsor of birthdays, but it is condemning more men to their funerals because of its stance against the PSA test,” Bearse added.

“It’s not too late, however, and we can change these predictions. Encourage your Dad to get tested and give him the gift of life on this Father’s Day.” 

Copyright ZERO - The Project to End Prostate Cancer 2010