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PCCNC-Medical Professionals

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Medical professionals often encounter patients with prostate cancer. This is inevitable because if a man lives long enough, he will develop prostate cancer. In fact, 1 in 6 men will develop the disease in his lifetime.

This high incidence of prostate cancer makes it is easy to lose site of the fact that over 30,000 men die every year of prostate cancer. American Cancer Society statistics show that North Carolina has the fifth-highest prostate cancer mortality rate (36.9 deaths per 100,000) in the nation. Note: NC's breast cancer mortality rate is 26.5 deaths per 100,000 and slightly below the national average (27.0 deaths per 100,000) thanks to the hard work and dedication of breast cancer advocates.

Needless to say, this is unacceptable given that the disease is as much 100% treatable and often curable when detected and treated early.

Please help by following PCCNC "best practices" prostate screening guidelines. These guidelines are updated annually (released during September, prostate cancer awareness month) in cooperation with leading Urologists throughout NC.

Recognizing that unnecessary treatment and over treatment of prostate cancer are points of concern for many medical professionals, in addition to advocating for the use of prostate screening to detect prostate cancer early enough to allow for effective treatment, PCCNC strongly advocates for the patient’s thorough understanding of his diagnosis and available treatment options.

Abnormal screening results may indicate several benign treatable conditions or allow for the early detection of prostate cancer. Urological follow-up for abnormal screenings may include re-screening, "percent free PSA" and/or a prostate biopsy. Only a prostate biopsy can diagnose prostate cancer. Once diagnosed with prostate cancer, a patient’s thorough understanding of his diagnosis and available treatment options is critical to effective treatment. Visit Patient Resources for a list of patient recommended educational resources or call UsToo! International’s patient hotline at (800)808-7866.

The incidence of prostate cancer increases dramatically as men age. In 2006, the youngest of the baby boomers (who make up 30% of the U.S. population) will turn 40. During the next 10 years, the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer is expected to increase by 40% from ~230,000 to over 300,000 a year. The number of prostate cancer deaths could rise from 30,000 to 50,000 per year. With early detection and access to "best practices" treatment options, prostate cancer can be effectively treated.

The Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina (PCCNC) in collaboration with leaders in Urology throughout the state of North Carolina have established "best practices" prostate screening guidelines. Urologists most commonly diagnose prostate cancer after a patient with an irregular screening is referred to him/her. These guidelines are intended to help primary care professionals and Urologists work collaboratively to identify men with prostate cancer while there is a chance that they may be effectively treated.