George Weiner, MD, director of the Holden Comprehensive cancer Center, and Richard Williams, MD, chairman of the UI Urology Department, were on hand Tuesday Sept. 5 at the Iowa City Council meeting where Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn read the following proclamation designating September 2006 as Prostate Cancer Month:
City of Iowa City Proclamation
Whereas, in the year 2006, the month of September has been declared National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and
Whereas, in the year 2006 and estimated 234,460 men in the United States will learn that they have prostate cancer, and across the nation prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in men, and
Whereas, an estimated 27,350 men will lose their lives to this disease in 2006, and one in six men in the nation are at risk of developing prostate cancer during their lifetime, and
Whereas, it is known that almost one third of prostate cancer occurs in men under the age of 65 during their prime work years, and at any age prostate cancer devastates families through the loss of income, partnership and support, and
Whereas, African American men have the highest rate of prostate cancer diagnosis and death in men of all racial or ethnic groups in the United States, and prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in African American men, and
Whereas, prostate cancer leaves too many family members without the men they love, and
Whereas, research suggest that men could reduce their risk of prostate cancer mortality if they followed recommended prostate cancer screening guidelines, including examination by a health care provider and increased awareness and use of early detection practices,
Now therefore, I, Ross Wilburn, Mayor of the City of Iowa city, Iowa, do hereby proclaim September 2006 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the City of Iowa City and urge all men in our community to become aware of their own risks of prostate cancer, talk to their health care providers about prostate cancer, and, whenever appropriate, get screened for the disease.
Wilburn's Letter to the Editor
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among men in America, hitting one man in six. This year an estimated 234,460 men will learn that they have the disease, and an estimated 27,350 men will lose their lives to it.
Prostate cancer goes beyond the men who are diagnosed because families are devastated when they lose husbands, partners, fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and brothers. Also, African American families are disproportionately affected due to African American men having higher rates of prostate cancer diagnosis and death than men of other racial or ethnic groups in the United States.
It should also be remembered that the disease can strike younger men too; almost one third of prostate cancer occurs in men under 65 during their prime working years.
Early detection is critical to coping with this complex disease that does not have a "one size fits all" treatment regimen for diagnosed men. It is for this reason that I am joining with the Mayors' Coalition for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education, an initiative that emphasizes informed decision making on screening and treatment. Conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors, the Coalition is part of an overall Cancer Awareness Program through which mayors are promoting education and early detection.
The Conference of Mayors is promoting September as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month during which men are urged to consult with their physicians, clinics, public health officials, and advocacy organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, about prostate cancer and whenever appropriate, to get screened for the disease.
I hope that the men of Iowa City and Johnson County will become informed about prostate cancer and take the necessary steps to protect their health. Remember, the life you save may be your own.
Ross Wilburn
Mayor, Iowa City
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For more information:
Holden Comprehensive cancer Center
Department of Urology
George Weiner, MD
Richard Williams, MD
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