Cory Booker Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Prostate Cancer Detection

U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and John Boozman (R-AR) introduced the bipartisan Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men Act, legislation that would require private health insurance plans to cover preventive prostate cancer screenings without imposing any cost sharing requirements for men who are at high risk of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 American men in their lifetime. Further, individuals who have at least one close family member diagnosed with the disease are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed themselves. The risk increases with each additional family member affected. Additionally, prostate cancer disproportionately affects African-American men as they are 1.8 times more likely to receive a prostate cancer diagnosis and 2.2 times more likely to die from the disease.

Currently, the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is the most effective tool for detecting prostate cancer. In many cases, prostate cancer is initially identified through this test as it measures the levels of PSA in the blood—a substance produced by the prostate that can be elevated in individuals with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer detected in Stage 1 is almost 100% survivable, compared to below 30% if caught at a later stage.

"Costs shouldn’t impose a barrier between people and lifesaving health screening services,” said Senator Booker. “Prostate cancer is a serious health concern, especially for African-American men and men with family history of this disease as they are more likely to face diagnosis and mortality. This bipartisan legislation would make prostate cancer screenings are more accessible to all high-risk men, so we can reduce health disparities and increase early detection to save lives."

“Diagnosing prostate cancer early is imperative to successful treatment. I know from personal experience in my own family the impact this disease has on patients and their loved ones. Increasing access to early screening for at-risk men will save lives. I am proud to be a voice in Congress for all those affected, because together we can help keep prostate cancer treatable and raise needed awareness,” said Senator Boozman. 

"Every step towards eliminating financial barriers to prostate cancer screening is a win for men and their families, particularly those at the highest risk for the disease, and the PSA for HIM Act is a significant step forward. We appreciate the leadership of Senator Booker and Senator Boozman and their efforts to make prostate cancer screening accessible to all," said Courtney Bugler, President and CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer. "By ensuring that every individual has the opportunity for early detection and timely intervention, we are advancing significant progress to safeguard the health of our communities."

"Increasing the rate of prostate cancer early detection screening for Black men is vital to reducing the death rate disparity, which is the largest for any of the major cancers. The PSA Screening for HIM Act will be a strong catalyst to increase screening by removing the financial barrier that is faced by many. PHEN emphatically supports this legislation that will save countless lives and lead the way in addressing the prostate cancer racial disparity," said Thomas A. Farrington, Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN) President and Founder.

“Screening can help detect prostate cancer at an early stage before the disease becomes more advanced and more difficult to treat; however out-of-pocket costs such as co-pays can be a barrier to accessing early detection,” said Lisa A. Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “The PSA Screening for HIM Act would remove a significant barrier that prevents far too many at high risk for prostate cancer, including those in the Black community, from getting screened. We thank Sens. Booker and Boozman for introducing this bill and look forward to working with them to get it passed.”

“The introduction of the Senate companion to the PSA for HIM Act is a tremendous win for prostate cancer patients,” said Eugene Rhee, MD, MBA, chair of the American Urological Association’s Public Policy Council. “This legislation will ensure that people who are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer are able to access screenings without cost-sharing barriers. Receiving regular PSA screenings can be the difference between catching this cancer early and being diagnosed with metastatic disease.”

The legislation is endorsed by the following organizations: Active Surveillance Patients International, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc., American Urological Association (AUA), Cancer & Careers, Cancer ABC's, Cancer Support Community, CancerCare, FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions, Patient Empowerment Network, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Prostate Cancer Research Institute, Prostate Conditions Education Council, Prostate Health Education Network, RetireSafe, Seattle Children's Foundation, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Society for Basic Urologic Research, Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates, Society of Urologic Oncology, Society of Women in Urology, Stand Up To Cancer, Triage Cancer, UsTOO Support Programs, ZERO Urology Care Foundation, Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness Inc.,  ZERO Prostate Cancer.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Robert F. Smith helps launch Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Bus to help Black men

Robert F. Smith and Mount Sinai’s Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer have launched the very first mobile prostate cancer screening bus in the United States. Prostate cancer is a very common disease that many men are at risk of developing in their lifetime. In fact, prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American men (outside of skin cancer), and it’s the 4th most common cancer diagnosis globally.

Another tragic fact is that Black men are at a much higher risk of developing this disease and eventually dying from it compared to white men. To address this issue affecting the Black community, Smith donated $3.8 million to Mount Sinai for the official launch of the Robert F. Smith Mobile MRI Unit to support prostate health awareness. This community effort will help provide increased education, awareness, and early detection screening to Black men across New York City’s greater neighborhoods of color to prevent prostate cancer from progressing further.

Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2.1 times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. While a clear reason for these substantial differences can’t be exactly defined, a variety of different factors could be contributing to the inequity. In the United States, Black Americans can be at a disadvantage when it comes to receiving the necessary preventative care needed for health concerns making them at-risk for diseases such as prostate cancer. With increased care and awareness, the racial divide for prostate cancer in men is narrowing. Early detection of this hard-hitting disease is crucial to increasing survivability. That’s why Smith has partnered with Mount Sinai to offer prostate health screenings for the Black community.

The new Robert F. Smith Mobile MRI Unit will bring prostate cancer screening directly to Black men in the communities of Central, Eastern, and West Harlem; the Upper East Side; and Queens. These communities of color are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer and dying from it than white communities. That’s why it’s crucial to have tools such as the Mobile MRI Unit in place for early detection and prevention of this disease.

This state-of-the-art mobile facility will provide the necessary tools for advanced screening for prostate cancer by trained medical professionals. Through this community outreach program, the Mount Sinai Health Center hopes to:

Raise awareness about prostate cancer and the screening services offered by the Mobile MRI Unit.

Set up prostate screening appointments in predominantly Black neighborhoods across New York City.

Schedule follow-up visits for patients with urologists at the Mount Sinai Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer.

The Mobile MRI Unit will be able to bring this technology and testing straight to the Black communities of Harlem and beyond. Access to an MRI can be life changing and aids in early detection of this disease in Black Americans. If abnormally high PSA levels are detected, Mount Sinai will develop a treatment plan for the patient which will include follow-up visits at Mount Sinai’s Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer.

New PSA with Harry Lennix on how prostate cancer disproportionately affecting African American men

Actor Harry Lennix   who currently co-stars on the NBC drama "The Blacklist," is the face of PCF's 2019 "Know the Numbers" campaign, which encourages men to understand their personal risks for prostate cancer. 

"I am honored to serve as an ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and to use my platform to raise awareness about this insidious disease which has affected so many people close to me," said Lennix.  "In honor of those I have lost, I am encouraging all men, including African Americans who are at heightened risk, to take the time to familiarize themselves with this disease and to take steps to reduce their risk for developing prostate cancer or to catch it early enough to survive it."

Despite recent reports of declining mortality rates for African American men, they remain the hardest hit by prostate cancer, with nearly 20 percent still being affected, and suffer the highest mortality rate from the disease of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. There remains a need to build public awareness about prostate cancer and to provide easy access to critical information, including screening guidelines, prevention and new targeted treatments.  Equally important is destigmatizing the disease through open, honest dialogue, such as this discussion featuring former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams, and her father, which will lead to more men becoming proactive about their health.

"Currently, there is focus and large commitment in place to understand why the disparities that affect African American men with prostate cancer exist, and we are finally seeing some progress. But this is not the time to take the foot off the gas; this is the time to accelerate," said Christine N. Jones, Chief Operating Officer, PCF.  "We have a two-pronged approach to address this issue -  education and awareness - which we know is saving lives on the front end, and investment in science, so we can better understand what is going on so precision treatments can be developed." 

National Minority Health Month Campaign Highlights

Actor Harry Lennix, who currently co-stars on the NBC drama "The Blacklist," is the face of PCF's 2019 "Know the Numbers" campaign, which encourages men to understand their

• personal risks for prostate cancer, take charge of their health and save lives by breaking down barriers and talking about the disease. The PCF's new PSA featuring Lennix can be viewed at www.pcf.org/knowthenumbers.
• The PCF's new "PROSTATE CANCER: Additional Facts for African American Men and Their Families" is available for free download at www.pcf.org. The new guide provides actionable information about what men can do to prevent prostate cancer as well as information about risks and screening guidelines specifically for African Americans. The guide features comments from Chris Tucker, Brian Custer, "Uncle" Charlie Wilson and Snoop Dogg. Also available for free download is a comprehensive Prostate Cancer Patient Guide. 
• The PCF currently has more than $10 million invested in research focused on prostate cancer in African American men. Teams across the U.S. are investigating a range of topics such as environmental factors to targeted therapies and genomics. Commencing this month is recruitment for the RESPOND study, which represents a $1 million PCF investment and is the largest study of its kind aimed at identifying the environmental and genetic factors related to disproportionately high diagnoses of aggressive prostate cancer in African American men. The study aims to recruit 10,000 participants over a three-year period to generate key biological and non-biological information that will help researchers reduce the rate of aggressive prostate cancer in this population. Find out more at www.pcf.org/RESPOND.
• Randy Jackson, Chris Tucker, Rev. Rosey Grier and others will be featured in month-long social media campaigns designed to reach men to encourage them to "Know the Numbers."

ABOUT THE PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $788 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer. For more information, visit www.pcf.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Colleen McKenna
Prostate Cancer Foundation
(310) 570-4722
cmckenna@pcf.org