KIDNEY & UROLOGY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA SUPPORTS PROSTATE AWARENESS AND FREE SCREENING PROGRAM

Joins Yankee Skipper Joe Torre and Daily News Leadership in Presenting
the Fifth Annual Father’s Day Program June 20 – 27, 2004

New York – June 10, 2004 – The Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, Inc., a leader in the fight against Prostate Cancer, has joined forces with the New York Daily News and five area medical centers in presenting the fourth annual Prostate Cancer Awareness and Free Screenings Program. The program, the largest in the country with more than 80 sites offering the free PSA exams, has screened nearly 60,000 men in its first three years.

The Foundation, now in its sixth decade of service to the community at large, is supporting the program as part of its ProstateSmart Initiative – a national public education initiative designed to build greater public awareness of Prostate Cancer, and the benefits of regular screenings and early detection. Each of the participating medical centers in this year’s program is receiving a grant from the Foundation, which is also spear-heading an aggressive awareness campaign in the tri-state area to coincide with the free PSA exams. The Foundation’s ProstateSmart Initiative is sponsored in part through a grant from AstraZeneca, a leader in the field of urology.

The Kidney & Urology Foundation’s Board of Urology, Chaired by Robert Waldbaum, MD, has dedicated itself to eradicating the disease through research, professional training, public education, as well as direct support of the patient and those at risk. The Foundation, with the assistance of partner AstraZeneca, is targeting corporations, municipal employees, unions, civic and community organizations in its efforts to increase the number of at risk men seeking proper screening and treatment.

“Early detection is the best solution,” said Dr. Waldbaum, Chief, Division of Urology, North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center. “If we can increase through programs such as this, the degree to which men are screened early for prostate cancer, we can stamp out this disease in the future. With early detection, far fewer men will suffer or die.”

Prostate Cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men, other than skin cancer. It is estimated that approximately 256,000 new cases of Prostate Cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and about 33,000 men will die from the disease. Prostate Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, second only to lung cancer. At risk are men 40 or over, men with a family history of the disease, and African American men, who have a substantially greater risk factor. African American men are six times more likely to develop the disease, and seven times more likely to die from it.

The Kidney & Urology Foundation and the Daily News are hopeful of screening between 30,000 and 50,000 men this year. This year’s medical centers include: St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers; Continuum Health Partners; Montefiore Medical Center, North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center; Hackensack Medical Center, Westchester Medical Center, and Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center.

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) exams involve a simple blood test that determines a man’s PSA protein level. A healthy prostate tends to keep low levels of PSA, while a sick prostate raises the PSA level. If an average man’s PSA level is higher than 4.0 nanograms per milliliter, his physician is likely to suggest tests for prostate cancer. It is important to note, however, that an elevated PSA can also be indicative of other non-cancerous prostate diseases, such as benign prostate disease.

The public is urged to learn more about prostate cancer by contacting the Kidney & Urology Foundation at 1-800-633-6628 or visiting the Foundation’s website at www.kidneyurology.org. Information is an essential tool in the fight against prostate cancer – because what you know- can save your life.

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