[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 79 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE NEED FOR EARLY DETECTION OF PROSTATE CANCER

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                          HON. JOHN P. MURTHA

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, June 7, 1999

  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of discussion about the 
benefits versus risks of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test in 
the early detection of prostate cancer. Some have opposed regular PSA 
testing for the general male population that falls outside of any high-
risk category because they argue it will find many slow-growing cancers 
that should not be treated. They say this is because the risk of 
serious side effects such as impotency or decrease in urinary function 
that may result from treatment is greater than the risk of dying of the 
cancer if it is slow-growing.
  I recently raised this question with a good friend of mine, Arnold 
Palmer, who has been an advocate of increased education and awareness 
of the issue of prostate cancer due to his own personal experience. I 
would not that he strongly believes the early detection of prostate 
cancer due to a PSA test saved his life.
  I would like to share with you his as well as his doctor's response 
to the question of whether to promote regular PSA testing. Their 
response supports what I have argued in promoting Medicare coverage of 
regular PSA testing: because it detects cancer early, it saves lives. I 
think that has to be the bottom line.

                                               Youngstown, PA,

                                                     May 11, 1999.
     Hon. John P. Murtha,
     House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Murtha: I have just heard back from my 
     medical specialists in the prostate cancer field at the Mayo 
     Clinic with a response to your inquiry generated by the 
     recent article in the New York Times on the subject of PSA 
     testing.
       Dr. Robert Myers, the surgeon who performed my 
     prostatectomy, has given me his opinion, which was relayed to 
     me by his associate, Dr. Ian Hay, with whom I have been in 
     frequent contact over the last two years and who has been out 
     of the country; hence the delay in this response to you. Let 
     me quote directly from Dr. Myers' comments:
       ``Any prostate cancer no matter how small it is can be 
     lethal if left long enough. There is no way to predict which 
     ones will be life threatening in individual patients, 
     especially younger men. Cure is certain in those patients who 
     have cancer truly confined to the prostate and it is removed 
     surgically. The smaller the cancer the better in terms of 
     successful surgery.
       ``The PSA test allows discovery of the smallest cancers 
     years before they can be detected any other way. Thus, it 
     stands to reason that if PSA is detecting more small cancers 
     and they are removed surgically, the death rate from prostate 
     cancer will fall. This is exactly what is being recorded in 
     the last few years. The surgery needs to be performed by 
     surgeons who are highly skilled in removing the prostate 
     without affecting either urinary control or sexual function.
       ``The best long-term survivals (more than 10 years) from 
     prostate cancer death are associated with surgery as a 
     solution to treating this cancer.''
       Jack, I hope that this provides you with the sort of expert 
     opinion on this very important matter that you wished. I 
     think that it is very succinct and to the point. It 
     encourages me to continue to publicly urge men to submit to 
     PSA testing on a regular basis as I have been doing since my 
     surgery more than two years ago.
       I trust that your Congressional duties are permitting you 
     time to play some golf. I send you my best personal regards 
     and good wishes.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Arnold Palmer.

     

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