ST. LOUIS, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Men are 33 percent more likely to get prostate cancer than women are to get breast cancer, yet many men go without diagnosis because of lack of knowledge or visible symptoms.
To promote an ongoing effort to educate the public about prostate cancer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, along with the 100 Black Men of St. Louis, founded an Annual Prostate Cancer Survivors & Awareness Walk. The 3rd Annual Walk will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2005, in downtown St. Louis, with registration starting at 7 a.m. and the Walk at 9 a.m. The Walk is free to all participants and is approximately one mile, concluding at the Missouri Black Expo at America’s Center. Free prostate cancer screenings will be offered at the Expo by the Siteman Cancer Center to all male participants over the age of 40.
“One of the biggest challenges is that prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years so the only true way for men to safeguard their health is to have annual blood tests and exams for it,” says John Seidenfeld, M.D., vice president and medical director, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri. “Families have tremendous influence on men to come to the Walk in support of victims and to be tested at the Expo.”
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in American men other than skin cancer. 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with the disease. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in men, behind lung cancer. While prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years, if detected early it is highly treatable.
The risks for African-American men are even higher. The incidence of prostate cancer in African-American males is 60% higher than in white men. The mortality rate for African-American males is twice the rate of white males.
“We believe the prevalence of prostate cancer in African-American men is due to less access to healthcare, and therefore less access to testing. We hope that men will attend the Walk and take advantage of the free prostate cancer screening to reduce this disparity,” says Dr. Seidenfeld.
“We hope to increase awareness about the importance of screenings, before any symptoms occur,” states Kathleen Zorica, vice president and general manager, Consumer Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri, and co- chairperson of the executive committee for this year’s event.
National health organizations recommend all men over the age of 50, African-American men over the age of 40, and any man experiencing symptoms to be screened annually for prostate cancer. The prostate is located beneath the bladder and completely surrounds the urethra. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), include: frequent urination at night; a weak urine stream; stopping and starting urination; leaking or dribbling; or a feeling that the bladder is not completely empty.
“We encourage the entire community to join us at the Walk -- it’s not just for men. With today’s busy lifestyles this is a great opportunity for families or friends to spend a Saturday together while encouraging a loved one to take time for his health and wellness,” states Ms. Zorica.
The 1-mile walk starts in front of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri building at Aloe Plaza (1831 Chestnut St., downtown St. Louis across from Union Station) and ends at the Missouri Black Expo at America’s Center where free prostate cancer screenings again will be given to males age 40 and over who participate in the Walk. BCBSMo also sponsors the Missouri Black Expo’s wellness section.
For information about the Walk, please call 314-385-2100, fax 314-385- 5551, e-mail Prostate@100bmstl.org, register in person at 4411 Newstead Avenue, or visit the Prostate Walk website at http://www.prostatecancerwalk.com .
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is the oldest and largest health benefits company in Missouri. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is an operating subsidiary of WellPoint, Inc., the nation’s largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company serving the health care needs of approximately 28.8 million medical members nationally. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and can be found on the web at http://www.bcbsmo.com .
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri is the name RightCHOICE Managed Care Inc. (RIT) uses to do business in most of Missouri. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company (HALIC) and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. HMO Missouri, Inc. does business as BlueCHOICE. RightCHOICE and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. RightCHOICE, HMO Missouri, Inc. and HALIC are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri
CONTACT: Deb Wiethop of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri,+1-314-923-4767, wiethopd@bcbsmo.com
