Newswise — Instead of another tie or garden tool, a more meaningful gift for Dad this Father’s Day is good prostate health. Experts at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) say one way to promote that is to encourage Dad to get checked for prostate cancer, whether through his doctor or through a community screening. 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 males. It is estimated that approximately 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer will occur in the United States this year, with 27,000 deaths. In New Jersey, 6,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, while 660 men will die from the disease. African American men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. CINJ experts available for comment include:
Isaac Kim, MD, PhD, chief, Section of Urologic Oncology and executive director of the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at CINJ; and 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 at CINJ, and 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 at CINJ, and associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She has studied the issue of whether conservative management can be a viable option to older men diagnosed with Stage I or Stage II prostate cancer in preserving their quality of life in their later years. Dr. Lu-Yao also can discuss the risk profile of men whose prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels are considered in the “normal” range and the controversy surrounding whether that level should be lowered.
Betty Gallo, director of public outreach and government relations at the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at CINJ. She is the wife of the late New Jersey 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.
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