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PRESENTATION proclaiming September 2007 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in El Dorado County.
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This proposed proclamation will be in keeping with the historical national practice of recognizing September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Each year, the President of the United States, the United States Senate, and the Governors of most states issue proclamations and resolutions declaring September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month; many counties and cities also recognize Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September.
Today, prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in America, second only to skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. The three most common female specific cancers are cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer. The 2007-projected number of new patients for these three cancers combined, is less than the projected number of new prostate cancer patients. Men have a 33% higher rate of developing prostate cancer than women have of developing breast cancer. Men also have a 12% higher death rate from prostate cancer than women have from breast cancer.
In California, prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in almost all race/ethic groups. The early stages of prostate cancer usually show no symptoms. Early detection is the key to prostate cancer survival. The survival rate for prostate cancer is 100% when the disease is treated early. The rate drops to 33% if the cancer has metastasized.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve proclamation.