September Is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Main Category: Prostate / Prostate Cancer
Article Date: 27 Aug 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatment and prevention options surrounding prostate cancer during September, which is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, other than skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. It is estimated that approximately 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer will occur in the United States this year, with the illness affecting more African-American men than those of Asian or Caucasian descent. In New Jersey, it is estimated that 6,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, while 660 will die from the disease.

Researchers at CINJ are continually investigating new ways to prevent and treat prostate cancer through such methods as the development of a vaccine, the use of robotic surgery and exploring the impact that vitamin supplements have on the disease.

Prostate Cancer Screenings: The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and its flagship facility Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are joining forces to offer prostate cancer screenings this September. The overall goal is to better educate men and their families about the risks of prostate cancer and the importance of being screened.

CINJ experts available for comment include:

Robert DiPaola, MD, director CINJ; professor of medicine, UMNDJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. DiPaola's research includes the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer and the impact of herbal medicines in these areas. He has done research testing the effectiveness of an investigational vaccine for prostate cancer as well as the impact of Vitamin D on the disease.

Isaac Kim, MD, PhD, head of the Urologic Oncology program, CINJ; associate professor of surgery, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Kim's research interests include tumor immunology focusing on immunosuppressive factors produced by prostate cancer cells. He has a specialty interest in robotic- and minimally-invasive surgery and performs a high volume of these surgeries on prostate cancer patients each year.

Mark N. Stein, MD, medical oncologist, Urologic Oncology Program, CINJ; assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Stein has a clinical and research interest in prostate cancer and can discuss the importance of annual screenings, especially for at-risk populations such as African American men and those with a family history. He also can provide insight regarding follow-up screening frequency for significantly older men, who have been diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer.

Grace Lu-Yao, PhD, MPH, cancer epidemiologist, CINJ; associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Lu-Yao is the lead investigator on a newly-released study, which shows significant changes in the risk profile of prostate cancer patients. She also can discuss conservative management as a viable option to older men diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer as a way to preserve their quality of life in their later years.

Betty Gallo, director of public outreach and government relations at the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at CINJ. Mrs. Gallo is the wife of the late Congressman Dean A. Gallo who died of prostate cancer in 1994. Her advocacy work for prostate cancer awareness includes working with area clergy to alert at-risk populations to the need for prostate cancer screening and promoting support services for women who are caring for loved ones with the disease.

Source: Cancer Institute of New Jersey

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