SEPTEMBER IS PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

One in eight American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Veterans and African American men are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with this disease.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 268,490 men will be told that they have prostate cancer in 2022. 34,500 men will die from prostate cancer this year.

Right now, there is no known cure for prostate cancer, but, if detected early, the 5-year survival rate is over 99 percent. If the disease is detected at an advanced stage, the 5-year survival rate drops to 30 percent.

That’s why early detection is critical. An annual PSA blood test and Digital Rectal Exam for all men over the age of 50 will help find the disease before it spreads. For men with a family history of prostate or breast cancer, the testing should start at age 40.

ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer www.zerocancer.org  is a national non-profit whose mission is to eradicate prostate cancer. ZERO offers support programs and groups to help patients and survivors cope with the disease and the side effects of its treatments.

ZERO promotes awareness and lobbies to get funding for research to help control and eventually cure prostate cancer. Most of ZERO’s funding comes from its Run/Walk series across the US.

Over the past 15 years, ZERO Run/Walks have raised $32,000,000.00 and 85 percent of that money has been used for programs that support patients, survivors, and research. The South Jersey ZERO 5K Run/Walk will be on Nov. 6 at the Valenzano Winery in Shamong, NJ. Registration is free, but donations are welcome. Register at www.zerocancer.org click on “Run/Walk”.

FIGHTING MEN Fighting CANCER is a South Jersey prostate cancer support group which meets twice each month, once in person and once online via Zoom. Newly diagnosed men, survivors, and men wanting to know more about the disease share their experiences without giving medical advice.

Medical professionals will also give presentations on the latest research developments and treatments. The in-person meetings are held at the American Legion Post 252, 20 Sicklerville Road, Williamstown, NJ, at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of the month. The online Zoom meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.

For more information, contact the group facilitator, Joe Musumeci at joe4seeds@gmail.com.

Tender Loving Caregivers is an online support group for caregivers of prostate cancer patients and survivors. Prostate cancer affects the entire family, and this group lets caregivers share their experiences to help each other cope with the stress of dealing with the treatments and side effects. The group meets monthly at 7 p.m. via ZOOM on the second Monday. Contact the group facilitator, Helen Musumeci at helenmusumeci@gmail.com for more details.