Prostate Cancer Roundtable Announces Collaborative Prostate Cancer Advocacy Web Site

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Apr 18, 2011, 04:15 ET

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Roundtable is pleased to announce the availability of its new web site http://www.ProstateCancerRoundtable.net.

"This new Roundtable web site will make it easier for America's prostate cancer advocates, patients, researchers, and clinicians to keep track of the shared priorities and policy initiatives of the 12 members of the Prostate Cancer Roundtable," said Scott Williams, Vice President of the Washington-based Men's Health Network.

"Membership of the Roundtable is comprised of national, not-for-profit organizations whose primary goal is the health and wellness of all men at risk for or diagnosed with prostate cancer," Williams continued. "However, we strongly encourage all other interested parties – from local prostate support groups to large national organizations which have prostate cancer as a focus area – to join us in supporting our national policy agenda."

A key strategic objective of the Prostate Cancer Roundtable has been to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between the many members of the prostate cancer community that have a shared interest in optimizing the prevention, early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and long-term care of men at risk for or diagnosed with prostate cancer. By working closely together, we can increase the power of our individual voices on Capitol Hill and in state capitals around the country.

"Prostate cancer is a complex disease, that negatively impacts a man, his family and his community," states Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer. "The Roundtable website provides an ideal forum for lawmakers, the public, healthcare professionals and interested stakeholders to quickly identify where the prostate cancer community stands on vital issues. It is the pocket policy reference for prostate cancer."

Prostate cancer risk is also significantly affected by issues of ethnicity and economics.

According to Thomas Farrington, Founder and President of the Prostate Health Education Network, "African-American men have one of the very highest rates of incidence and death from prostate cancer anywhere in the world. They are 1.6 times as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2.4 times as likely to die of this disease as Caucasian Americans. Furthermore, in nearly every state in America, men who are uninsured or under-insured are at very high risk for diagnosis of advanced or late-stage prostate cancer."

About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among American males. Nearly 220,000 men were projected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010, and about 32,000 were projected to die from this disease. Any man may be at risk for prostate cancer, but increased risk factors are known to include race, family history, elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, positive findings on a digital rectal examination, and selected pathological findings on prior biopsies.

About the Prostate Cancer Roundtable

The Prostate Cancer Roundtable, representing America's prostate cancer community, is a group of independent, patient-centric, not-for-profit organizations that cooperate to foster the development of policies supporting high quality prostate cancer research, the prevention and early detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, the appropriate care and effective treatment of men with prostate cancer, and the appropriate education of all men at risk for this disease. For more information, please visit www.ProstateCancerRoundtable.net.

The members of the Prostate Cancer Roundtable are: Ed Randall's Fans for the Cure; Malecare Prostate Cancer Support; Men's Health Network; National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions; Prostate Cancer Foundation; Prostate Cancer International; Prostate Conditions Education Council; Prostate Health Education Network; The Prostate Net; Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network; Women Against Prostate Cancer; ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer.