[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10659-S10660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, September is Prostate Cancer Awareness 
Month, and I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to remind 
men and the women who love them that early detection saves lives.
  Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer in 
American men and it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related 
death among men. Approximately one out of every six men will develop it 
at some point in their lives. In fact, according to the American Cancer 
Society, more than 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed 
each year in the United States and, sadly, about 27,000 sons, fathers, 
brothers and husbands will die of the disease. Fortunately, through 
early detection and treatment, fewer men are dying and more men are 
living long and healthy lives following their diagnosis.
  A simple blood test, the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test can 
detect prostate cancer, and is usually administered by your regular 
doctor. Health experts recommend that doctors offer men yearly 
screening beginning at age 50. However, men with one or more high risk 
factors should consider starting yearly testing at age 45 or earlier 
and some may choose to take a PSA test at age 40, to establish a 
baseline level for future comparison.
  Each year my wife Barbara and I sponsor a cancer booth at the South 
Dakota State Fair in Huron, SD. For many years, we have been able to 
provide free PSA tests to hundreds of men, and several people have 
returned to the booth to tell us that the PSA test they

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took at the fair detected their cancer, and they are now on the road to 
a full recovery. Barb and I are grateful that we are able to offer this 
service, and that it is making a difference for South Dakotans.
  Many individuals have had their own lives or the lives of family and 
friends touched by cancer; I am so grateful that my own battle with 
this disease had a successful outcome. Prostate cancer is often not an 
easy subject to discuss, but uncomfortable though the topic may be for 
some, we must remember that early detection saves lives. My wife 
Barbara is a two-time cancer survivor, and her experience taught me 
that early detection and swift treatment is the best defense in 
fighting any form of cancer.
  I am proud to add my voice to those who are working to fight prostate 
cancer, and to commend them on their indefatigable efforts to raise 
awareness of the risks, to promote early detection and treatment, and 
to further our efforts to understand and eliminate this disease. I urge 
men to discuss their risks and screening options with their doctor, and 
I urge women to raise this important topic with the men in their lives. 
Through screening and early detection, we truly can save lives.

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