New Screening Option Coming for Prostate Cancer

DENVER, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), a national organization committed to men's health and a leader in prostate cancer screening, released the following statement in response to the Premarket Approval (PMA) from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Beckman Coulter's Prostate Health Index (phi).  The statement is attributed to PCEC President, Wendy Poage, MHA.

"Today's announcement of Premarket Approval (PMA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Beckman Coulter's Prostate Health Index (phi) represents a promising and exciting advancement for men and their physicians.  As the debate around prostate cancer screening continues, the PCEC welcomes the addition of new screening tools that offer men options that improve upon current screening methods.  Our hope is that new options like this test will help to mitigate concerns around screening by reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies, cutting back on the over diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, and lowering costs associated with prostate cancer detection.  

Prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among American men.[i]  Prostate cancer can be an aggressive disease that is most successfully treated when it is detected early on.  The PCEC believes all men should be informed about the disease and their options for testing.  Each year, the PCEC holds Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, dedicated to offering free or low-cost screenings for more than 125,000 men across the U.S. and internationally.  Since the first PCAW in 1989, the program has helped to screen nearly five million men in the U.S., and this number continues to grow each year both at home and internationally."

About the Prostate Conditions Education Council

A national organization committed to men's health, the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC) is the nation's leading resource for information on prostate health.  The PCEC is dedicated to saving lives through awareness and the education of men, the women in their lives, as well as the medical community about prostate cancer prevalence, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options, as well as other men's health issues.  The Council – comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate cancer advocates – aims to conduct nationwide screenings for men and perform research that will aid in the detection and treatment of prostate conditions.  More information is available at www.prostateconditions.org. 

[i] http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/men.htm

SOURCE Prostate Conditions Education Council