Malecare sent questions to Albert Siu, MD, Chairperson of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force about plans to review their 2012 recommendation against the use of the PSA test for prostate cancer screening. We thought that this information would be important since the USPTF is currently soliciting public comments on the research design of their review [...]
My good friend and fellow advocate Mike Scott (Prostate Cancer Info Link) introduced me to a new web site produced by the University of Chicago called Cost of Care (www.CostofCare.org). The site is designed around the novel idea that the cost we must pay for our cancer care has become another negative side effect or [...]
Clinical trials are vital if we expect to continue to see improvements in the treatments and medications that are available. Unfortunately, there are some historical abuses in clinical trials so many people do approach them with a level of distrust. In contemporary times the clinical trial system has many safeguards that did not exist even [...]
Approximately 2 years ago Malecare and the New York State Prostate Coalition began asking questions about where the State of New York was hiding approximately $3,000,000 in funding for prostate cancer research. Each year New York State residents are asked to check off a little box on their state tax return donating an additional dollar [...]
I have been relatively quiet about the skyrocketing cost of drugs, but it has now become impossible to remain out of the fray. A Pharmaceutical company recently acquired a drug called Daraprim, the drug treats potentially fatal parasitic infections. After its acquisition the company raised the price of Daraprim by almost 5,0000%. When confronted with [...]
The Prostate Cancer Patient Action Leadership Council will meet in late October to plan advocacy events and activities for 2016. You are invited to join. Please sign up at: http://malecare.org/about/survivor-family-friends-advisory-board/
During last year’s American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) Annual Meeting, data was released from the STAMPEDE trial which should change clinical practice around the world. The trial results showed that newly diagnosed men with very aggressive prostate cancer that was still hormone therapy naive (no ADT) would have a very significant survival advantage by [...]
The line item for FY 2016 CDC prostate cancer funding of $13,205,000 is restored in both the House and Senate appropriations bills, as authored by their committees. Thanks to the several thousand of you who responded to Malecare's call to action and wrote emails and letters to the Congressional House and Senate Budget Committee. Since both [...]
Yesterday, the United States Senate debated the Defense Spending Bill. As expected Senator McCain’s amendment came up for debate. I have attached a link to the Congressional Record, which includes both Senator McCain’s remarks against continuing support for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs as well as Senator Durbin’s response. If you are interested in [...]
The problems created by Senator McCain continue to be ever present. Our friend, Senator Durbin has asked that we provide his office with additional background about the military nature of the research performed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), including the Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP). In addition there is a very misguided [...]
