September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month and ABC 10News is supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation to raise awareness by highlighting the need for testing and addressing outcome disparities in Black men diagnosed with prostate cancer. The reasons are complex and unclear.
Dr. Tyler Seibert, MD, PhD, a Prostate Cancer Foundation-funded investigator and Radiation Oncologist at University of California, San Diego spoke with ABC 10News Anchor, Virginia Cha about those facing a cancer that is easily detected and treatable if caught early.
WHO IS AT MOST RISK FOR PROSTATE CANCER?
- According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer in men, affecting four million men in the U.S. and an estimated 14 million men worldwide. One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime.
- If you are of African descent or African American, that number increases by over 75% and they are twice as likely to die from the disease as white males.
- Men with relatives – father, brother, son – with a history of prostate cancer may be twice as likely to develop the disease.
IS PROSTATE CANCER CONSIDERED “TREATABLE”?
- We know that 30% of cancer is preventable with lifestyle factors.
- Early detection is critical to ensure successful outcomes.
- While prostate cancer is relatively common, the good news is that about 90% of all prostate cancers are detected when the cancer is confined to the prostate or the region around it, and treatment success rates are high compared with many other types of cancer.
KNOW YOUR RISK, KNOW YOUR NUMBERS
- Eating healthy and exercising can prevent any number of chronic diseases, and in some cases, like diabetes, it can even help reverse some of the most dangerous effects.
- Start by having a conversation with your doctor about screening and understanding your risk.
- Cancer, even prostate cancer is a family problem, so speak with your family and educate yourself.
This September, you can join the Prostate Cancer Foundation challenge to “Eat It to Beat It” during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s a simple challenge: eat 30 healthy foods in 30 days and help raise awareness about prostate cancer. You'll show that making healthy lifestyle choices can potentially reduce risk for developing prostate cancer and improve outcomes.
For more information about the “Eat It to Beat It” CLICK HERE.
Sign up to participate through email or Join the Facebook group.
About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world’s leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has raised more than $800 million in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 220 leading cancer centers in 22 countries around the world. Thanks in part to PCF’s commitment to ending death and suffering from prostate cancer, the death rate is down more than 50% and countless more men are alive today as a result. PCF research now impacts more than 70 forms of human cancer by focusing on immunotherapy, the microbiome, and food as medicine. Learn more at pcf.org
