John Kerry: “as we approach Father's Day, I would like to take the opportunity to discuss an important men's health issue that has…”

“as we approach Father's Day, I would like to take the opportunity to discuss an important men's health issue that has personally affected my family and the families of many of my colleagues in the Chamber. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Every year, more than 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 25,000 men die from it. When caught early, five-year survival rates are near 100 percent. But when this cancer is caught in later stages, the survival rate drops significantly to only 28 percent. African-American men are one and a half times more likely to get prostate cancer and two and a half times more likely to be killed by it than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. As we move forward with better screening and treatment options, we must also close disparity gaps so all men have improved outcomes. This is why Senators Chambliss, Cardin, Akaka, Wyden and I are submitting a resolution to recognize the disproportionate occurrence of prostate cancer in African-American men. This resolution acknowledges the importance of health care coverage for prostate cancer screenings and the need for informed decision making between men and their doctors, taking into consideration the known risks and potential benefits of screening and treatment options.…”