Wellbeing
This weeks’ Advance on Washington kicked off this Morning with a Survivors and Supporters Breakfast and Press Conference
It was my honor to welcome survivors, families and supporters at today's Advance breakfast.
Following a heartwarming and emotional breakfast for prostate cancer Survivors and Supporters here in Washington, the PCF and 13 other of America’s prostate cancer organizations outlined a Five-Point plan and Call to Action for our nation’s policymakers. Prostate cancer research stands at a defining moment. With significant game-changing progress having been achieved this year, there is an urgent need to expand government and private support to use the new data to drive research that will indeed enable us to end death and suffering from prostate cancer.
In addition to being outlined in the press conference, the Five-Point Plan was outlined in the following letter that was delivered to all Members of Congress and President Obama this morning.
Nearly 50 PCF Young Investigators joined with our survivors and families this morning.
September 14, 2010
Dear President Obama and Members of Congress:
Today, we have reached a turning point in the future of prostate cancer treatment. Important progress has been made in identifying the pathways to better treatments for those who have been affected, yet prostate cancer remains the number one men’s health crisis in America. There remains much more to be achieved—one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime and 218,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. In 2010, an American man is dying from this disease every 16.4 minutes. Now is the time to commit to scientific innovation and achieve freedom from prostate cancer.
PCF's Advance press conference was attended by media, advocates and survivors.
We urgently need to cure more and over-treat less. Reaching this goal will return an estimated $3 billion or more annually to the American economy. The recent discovery of 24 gene fusions that cause various prostate cancers provides us with the keys to unlock ways to treat the right types of cancer with the right therapies. Progress in identifying which patients are viable candidates for proactive surveillance will also help us in conquering the huge financial and emotional costs extracted by prostate cancer.
More progress has been made in prostate cancer research in 2010 than in the past 10 years, and researchers are closer to developing new treatments and cures for patients. These achievements merit a call to action for our health and government leaders to intensify efforts and support for research. We must act aggressively to translate this knowledge into new, effective treatments and better, more practical guidelines for physicians and patients that will truly make an impact on survival.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation and other leading U.S. organizations serving the prostate cancer community ask that you publicly and vigorously support the following five points.
A Final Five-Point Advance on Prostate Cancer Will Give Us Freedom from Prostate Cancer Once and For All
1. Increase the NCI’s $5 billion annual budget to accelerate basic and treatment sciences research for human prostate cancer from $294 million to a transparent $400 million.
◦The Fiscal Year 2009 (non-ARRA) prostate cancer budget was 49% of the FY09 breast cancer budget and includes duplicate counting of cancer research investments.
◦We need to ensure that NCI programs work toward greater innovation, clearly outlined deliverables and transparent progress reviews.
2. Increase appropriation for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Prostate Cancer at the Department of Defense to $120 million from $80 million.
◦$120 million would total 80 percent of the current appropriation for breast cancer research and expand public access and participation in early clinical trials by those who have served in the American military and American citizens at large.
◦The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium has been the most significant vehicle in delivering FDA-approved therapies over the past 8 years. The strength of its Vision and Mission has been the cultivation of public-private partnerships, including the effective collaboration between the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
3. Establish an Office on Men’s Health (OMH) in the Department of Health and Human Services equivalent to The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) established in 1991.
◦The OMH would coordinate active collaboration with government agencies, non-profit organizations, consumer groups, and associations of health care professionals in identifying issues and developing guidelines, policies and programs for men’s health.
4. Create a Prostate Cancer Scientific Advisory Board for the Office of the Chief Scientist at the FDA to accelerate real-time sharing of the latest research data and accelerate movement of new medicines to patients.
◦Working in concert with the FDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist, a pro-bono scientific advisory board of leading prostate cancer researchers will help ensure the rapid exchange of the latest scientific data and shorten the approval processes.
5. Create human capital by launching more careers of the best and brightest scientists in the U.S. to solve the prostate cancer problem.
◦Some of the world’s most innovative ideas originate with our bright young minds. Public and private sources of biomedical funding need to recruit the next generation of talent to advance progress for prostate cancer research and research on other cancers. Early-career investigators generate new ideas and approaches, energizing the field, moving it forward, bringing medical research solutions to patients and families.
Now is the time for action and support. Together we can ensure that patients receive the most appropriate and effective therapy, and affirm our commitment to saving lives.
Sincerely,
The Prostate Cancer Foundation – www.pcf.org
American Urological Association– www.auanet.org
American Urological Association Foundation– www.auafoundation.org
Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program – www.blackbarbershop.org
Malecare Prostate Cancer Support– www.malecare.com
Men’s Health Network– www.menshealthnetwork.org
National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions– www.naspcc.org
Prostate Cancer International – www.pcainternational.org
Prostate Conditions Education Council– www.prostateconditions.org
Prostate Health Education Network– www.prostatehealthed.org
The Prostate Net– www.prostatenet.org
Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network – www.ustoo.org
Women Against Prostate Cancer– www.womenagainstprostatecancer.org
ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer – www.zerocancer.org
It was my honor to welcome survivors, families and supporters at today's Advance breakfast.
Following a heartwarming and emotional breakfast for prostate cancer Survivors and Supporters here in Washington, the PCF and 13 other of America’s prostate cancer organizations outlined a Five-Point plan and Call to Action for our nation’s policymakers. Prostate cancer research stands at a defining moment. With significant game-changing progress having been achieved this year, there is an urgent need to expand government and private support to use the new data to drive research that will indeed enable us to end death and suffering from prostate cancer.
In addition to being outlined in the press conference, the Five-Point Plan was outlined in the following letter that was delivered to all Members of Congress and President Obama this morning.
Nearly 50 PCF Young Investigators joined with our survivors and families this morning.
September 14, 2010
Dear President Obama and Members of Congress:
Today, we have reached a turning point in the future of prostate cancer treatment. Important progress has been made in identifying the pathways to better treatments for those who have been affected, yet prostate cancer remains the number one men’s health crisis in America. There remains much more to be achieved—one in six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime and 218,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year. In 2010, an American man is dying from this disease every 16.4 minutes. Now is the time to commit to scientific innovation and achieve freedom from prostate cancer.
PCF's Advance press conference was attended by media, advocates and survivors.
We urgently need to cure more and over-treat less. Reaching this goal will return an estimated $3 billion or more annually to the American economy. The recent discovery of 24 gene fusions that cause various prostate cancers provides us with the keys to unlock ways to treat the right types of cancer with the right therapies. Progress in identifying which patients are viable candidates for proactive surveillance will also help us in conquering the huge financial and emotional costs extracted by prostate cancer.
More progress has been made in prostate cancer research in 2010 than in the past 10 years, and researchers are closer to developing new treatments and cures for patients. These achievements merit a call to action for our health and government leaders to intensify efforts and support for research. We must act aggressively to translate this knowledge into new, effective treatments and better, more practical guidelines for physicians and patients that will truly make an impact on survival.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation and other leading U.S. organizations serving the prostate cancer community ask that you publicly and vigorously support the following five points.
A Final Five-Point Advance on Prostate Cancer Will Give Us Freedom from Prostate Cancer Once and For All
1. Increase the NCI’s $5 billion annual budget to accelerate basic and treatment sciences research for human prostate cancer from $294 million to a transparent $400 million.
◦The Fiscal Year 2009 (non-ARRA) prostate cancer budget was 49% of the FY09 breast cancer budget and includes duplicate counting of cancer research investments.
◦We need to ensure that NCI programs work toward greater innovation, clearly outlined deliverables and transparent progress reviews.
2. Increase appropriation for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for Prostate Cancer at the Department of Defense to $120 million from $80 million.
◦$120 million would total 80 percent of the current appropriation for breast cancer research and expand public access and participation in early clinical trials by those who have served in the American military and American citizens at large.
◦The Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium has been the most significant vehicle in delivering FDA-approved therapies over the past 8 years. The strength of its Vision and Mission has been the cultivation of public-private partnerships, including the effective collaboration between the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
3. Establish an Office on Men’s Health (OMH) in the Department of Health and Human Services equivalent to The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) established in 1991.
◦The OMH would coordinate active collaboration with government agencies, non-profit organizations, consumer groups, and associations of health care professionals in identifying issues and developing guidelines, policies and programs for men’s health.
4. Create a Prostate Cancer Scientific Advisory Board for the Office of the Chief Scientist at the FDA to accelerate real-time sharing of the latest research data and accelerate movement of new medicines to patients.
◦Working in concert with the FDA’s Office of the Chief Scientist, a pro-bono scientific advisory board of leading prostate cancer researchers will help ensure the rapid exchange of the latest scientific data and shorten the approval processes.
5. Create human capital by launching more careers of the best and brightest scientists in the U.S. to solve the prostate cancer problem.
◦Some of the world’s most innovative ideas originate with our bright young minds. Public and private sources of biomedical funding need to recruit the next generation of talent to advance progress for prostate cancer research and research on other cancers. Early-career investigators generate new ideas and approaches, energizing the field, moving it forward, bringing medical research solutions to patients and families.
Now is the time for action and support. Together we can ensure that patients receive the most appropriate and effective therapy, and affirm our commitment to saving lives.
Sincerely,
The Prostate Cancer Foundation – www.pcf.org
American Urological Association– www.auanet.org
American Urological Association Foundation– www.auafoundation.org
Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program – www.blackbarbershop.org
Malecare Prostate Cancer Support– www.malecare.com
Men’s Health Network– www.menshealthnetwork.org
National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions– www.naspcc.org
Prostate Cancer International – www.pcainternational.org
Prostate Conditions Education Council– www.prostateconditions.org
Prostate Health Education Network– www.prostatehealthed.org
The Prostate Net– www.prostatenet.org
Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network – www.ustoo.org
Women Against Prostate Cancer– www.womenagainstprostatecancer.org
ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer – www.zerocancer.org