WHEREAS, More than 2,900,000 men in the United States live with prostate cancer. 1 in 9 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes and 1 in 41 men in the United States will die from prostate cancer; and
WHEREAS, Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States; and
WHEREAS, 41.9 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases occur in men under the age of 65 and the odds of developing prostate cancer rise rapidly after age 50; and
WHEREAS, African-American men suffer from a prostate cancer incidence rate that is significantly higher than that of White men and have more than double the prostate cancer mortality rate than that of White men; and
WHEREAS, Having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles the risk of a man developing prostate cancer, with a higher risk for men who have a brother with the disease and the highest risk for men with several affected relatives; and
WHEREAS, Screening by a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease at the earlier, more treatable stages, which could increase the chances of survival for more than 5 years to nearly 100 percent; and
WHEREAS, Only 30 percent of men survive more than 5 years if diagnosed with prostate cancer after the cancer has metastasized; and
WHEREAS, There are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages, making appropriate screening critical; and
WHEREAS, Ongoing research promises further improvements in prostate cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment; and
WHEREAS, Educating people in the United States, including health care providers, about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to saving the lives of men and preserving and protecting families; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Designates September 2021 as “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month” to raise awareness about the importance of screening for and treatment of prostate cancer, to encourage prostate cancer research, and to encourage Philadelphians to take an active role in the fight to end prostate cancer.
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