Washington, DC - Join ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer for the inaugural National Golf-A-Thon on Father’s Day weekend, June 15-17 2012. Golfers can play any 9-hole or 18-hole golf course from any set of course tees in the world, based on their own schedule. One hundred percent of the funds raised will go toward prostate cancer awareness, research and testing.

“In addition to raising critical funds for prostate cancer research and testing, ZERO’s National Golf-A-Thon will raise awareness of prostate caner on the weekend when we celebrate the men that mean the most to us – our fathers,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO at ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer.

The Golf-A-Thon is open to all golfers, regardless of playing ability, gender or age. It is also both an individual and team competition. Participants play golf based on their own schedules on Father’s Day weekend and are in competition to see which team or individual can raise the most money. Prizes will be awarded to the top three individuals or teams that raise the most money.

Funds are raised for ZERO—The Project to End Prostate Cancer through pledges on holes played. The more holes a participant plays on Father's Day weekend, the more money they generate to fight prostate cancer. Participants will collect pledges from sponsors for each hole played during the ZERO's Father's Day Golf-A-Thon. Signing up is easy and participants receive their own fundraising website to help seek donations from family and friends.

The team or individual raising the most money will win the grand prize trip to the Know Your Score Celebrity Golf Tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC, benefiting prostate cancer awareness, research and testing. The trip includes lodging for four at Pawleys Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC, four tickets to the VIP celebrity reception, four entries into the celebrity golf tournament, and four tickets to the gala. The runners up will receive ZERO golf apparel. To learn more about Know Your Score, visit www.knowyourscoremb.com.

To register or learn more about ZERO’s National Father’s Day Golf-A-Thon, visit www.zerocancer.org/events/other/events/golfathon.

Washington, DC - More than 4,100 men in South Carolina will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, but there is hope through awareness and early detection. That’s why ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer has teamed up with Atlantic Urology Clinics and Carolina Regional Cancer Center to offer the Drive Against Prostate Cancer, the only nationwide mobile prostate cancer testing program.

Hundreds of men can be tested for FREE on May 18 and 19, 2012. The test consists of a simple blood test and a physical examination. Local physicians will provide this free and confidential testing in as little as 10 minutes without an appointment. Each man will receive a notification letter that explains the test results, a list of local resources for follow-up care, and additional health information.

“More than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. “Yearly testing is the key to early detection and successful treatment of the disease.”

There are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is in the early stages, so testing is vitally important. The chances of a man getting prostate cancer are one in three with one close relative (father, brother) with the disease. The risk is 83 percent with two close relatives and 97 percent with three. African American men are at special risk for the disease, with the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world, one in four men. They are also 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease.

The FREE testing will be available to the public:

Only about 5% of men experience migraine, according to the Migraine Trust, while the incidence of erectile dysfunction is higher and depends on age, affecting about 5% of men younger than 40 and between 15% and 25% of those 65 and older. This new study is believed to be the first to show a relationship between migraine and impotence.

ZERO - The Project to End Prostate Cancer is saddened to learn of the loss of Fred Gersh, a strong supporter of the fight against prostate cancer.

"The prostate cancer community has suffered the loss of a great man who worked tirelessly to fight this disease," said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO. "We can honor Fred's legacy by continuing to fight prostate cancer and supporting research to find the cure."

Fred’s wife Micki shared the following statement in an email:

"He had a long fight with the prostate cancer and I think in a way you could say he won since it has been 23 years since he was diagnosed. But he became ill 2 1/2 weeks ago, and after a stint at the hospital, he came home Tuesday to hospice care. He struggled to the end, but he looked peaceful after. And at least he is no longer in pain. Thanks to all of you for your friendship and support."

Fred was a strong advocate for prostate cancer, working with and through the Virginia Prostate Cancer Coalition, the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, Us TOO International, ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer, and most recently the Prostate Cancer Roundtable.

The FDA updated the Warnings and Precautions section of labels for the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors in June 2011 after its Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 17-0 that dutasteride and finasteride should not be prescribed to prevent prostate cancer because both drugs were linked to a higher incidence of high-grade prostate tumors.

Standard treatment for men with prostate cancer includes surgery (prostatectomy), radiation therapy, or both. However, even these aggressive measures do not guarantee elimination of cancer, as about 25% of treatment men experience recurrence of prostate cancer.

Vitamin D has been the center of both much controversy and vigorous research in recent years concerning the part it may play in diseases ranging from prostate cancer to rheumatoid arthritis, depression, and obesity. Regarding prostate cancer, some experts have warned that higher levels of vitamin D should be avoided.

Cadmium can enter the body from smoking cigarettes, eating food (especially shellfish) and drinking water that contains the metal, and inhaling it from the air. The toxin is found in industrial environments, especially those that involve ore processing or smelting. The US Department of Health and Human Services has stated that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known human carcinogens.

Washington D.C. – Robert Ginyard of Baltimore, MD, is a new member of ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer’s Board of Directors.

Ginyard is a prostate cancer survivor and the inventor of the Shusokumb (pronounced Shu- Sock’em) Bag, a compartmentalized tote bag designed for the millions of women who wear flat shoes or sneakers to work and later change into heels once they arrive to the office.

Ginyard was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 48. After his diagnosis, he decided to take on a new role in speaking out to promote prostate cancer awareness and overall good health. Ginyard now says he owes it to other men and their families to share his experiences, including tackling major issues such as sex, love, and life after prostate cancer head-on.

“I’m honored to be a part of an organization that is making great strides in raising awareness of prostate cancer. Through their early testing outreach, research, and advocacy, they’re saving lives. “

Ginyard worked as a banker, and Director of Marketing for a national trade association before launching his own tote bag business. He is a frequent guest on radio programs sharing his expertise on entrepreneurship, marketing, and his prostate cancer journey. Ginyard lives in Baltimore with his wife and two daughters.

Chemobrain is a term used to describe the mental symptoms and brain changes that occur in cancer patients when they take chemotherapy drugs. The mental changes may last for only a short time, but for some people they last for years and have a significant impact on their daily lives.

Washington D.C. – While more men are being diagnosed with the prostate cancer, fewer are dying from the disease. Data from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries and the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that in 2012, incidence rates of prostate cancer will increase slightly, while death rates from the disease will decrease. In 2011, it is estimated that 33,720 men died from the disease, while 28,170 are expected to die in 2012 – a more than 15 percent decrease. This can be attributed to both the effectiveness of early detection efforts and research that has lead to advances in treatment.

“This year alone, more than 241,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 28,000 will die from the disease,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. “We are seeing the death rate decrease, but we must remain vigilant in the fight against this disease by increasing research funding, raising awareness and education, and testing men with risk factors.”

In the U.S., a baby boomer turns 50 every 8.5 seconds, making the risk pool for prostate cancer larger and larger. ZERO provides free prostate cancer testing to at-risk men across the country through the Drive Against Prostate Cancer. Because of early detection efforts like the Drive, more than 90 percent of prostate cancers are discovered in the local or regional stages. When detected in these early stages, the survival rate for prostate cancer approaches 100 percent.

Over the past 25 years, the 5-year relative survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer combined has increased from 68 percent to almost 100 percent, which can be attributed to the widespread use of the PSA blood test for the disease. According to the most recent data, 10- and 15-year relative survival rates are 98 percent and 91 percent, respectively.

Research at the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) has lead to the discovery of new drugs to fight late-stage prostate cancer. Xgeva and Zytiga, both approved in the past two years, are now viable options to extend men’s lives. ZERO works with the federal government to protect the valuable bench to bedside research done at the DOD, and was instrumental in keeping the PCRP funded at $80 million for fiscal year 2012.

For reasons that remain unclear, prostate cancer incidence rates are significantly higher in African Americans than in Caucasians, and death rates in African Americans remain more than twice as high as those in Caucasians. Other risk factors for prostate cancer include age and family history of the disease.

Studies suggest that a diet high in processed meat or dairy foods may also be a risk factor. Obesity may increase the risk of aggressive prostate cancer, and obesity and smoking are associated with an increased risk of dying from the disease.

ZERO believes that men should take a proactive approach to their health, and discuss prostate cancer risk factors and testing options with their doctor.

Washington D.C. – The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge®, the premier men’s health event series in America, managed by ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer, will host events in 32 cities in 2012 to raise funds for prostate cancer research, advocacy and awareness.

“In 2012, more than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 28,000 will die from the disease,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. “As the success of our event series continues to grow, we’re better equipped to reduce these numbers by funding research, advocacy and awareness efforts.”

In 2012, the event series is expanding to 32 cities including new events in Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Shreveport and Lancaster, PA. In 2011 the GPCC series raised nearly $2 million by hosting more than 12,000 athletes in 27 cities across the nation including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit and a celebrity golf tournament Myrtle Beach, SC.

The goal of the GPCC is to end prostate cancer by building a network of local race partners across the country with a massive amount of participants in the same way that organizations like The Susan G. Komen Foundation have brought attention to breast cancer and women’s health issues.

In 2007, Chesapeake Urology Associates, one of the largest urology practice groups in the nation and located in the greater Baltimore area, created an event solely focused on prostate cancer. Other urology groups across the country soon joined the successful GPCC series to create awareness and raise funds for prostate cancer research through highly successful 5K run events. In 2009, ZERO took on the GPCC as its signature awareness and fundraising program in its efforts to save lives through research and testing.

Funds from the event series go to national and local efforts to save lives from prostate cancer. National funds help ZERO increase prostate cancer research funding from the federal government and provide free testing for high-risk men and local funds provide education and free testing in event communities.

Premier Partner Abbott and many other national and local sponsors are dedicated to ending prostate cancer support the GPCC.

To learn more about the GPCC, visit www.greatprostatecancerchallenge.com.

Fort Myers, FL - Lace up your sneakers and join Florida Urology Physicians and ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer on Saturday, January 28, 2012 for the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K Race in Fort Myers. The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge is America’s premier men’s health event series, taking place in 33 cities in 2012.

“More than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone, including more than 17,000 in Florida,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. “The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge raises funds that are critical for raising awareness and fighting the disease.”

Funds raised from the race go to prostate cancer research, education, and free testing. ZERO provides comprehensive treatment information to patients, education to those at risk, and free testing to at-risk men around the country. ZERO also works to increase research funds from the federal government to find new treatments and better diagnostic tests for this disease.

For more information, visit http://greatprostatecancerchallenge.com/races/fort-myers/.

The team at ZERO - The Project to End Prostate Cancer is saddened to learn of the loss of Jim Huber, a strong supporter of the fight against prostate cancer and 2010 Know Your Score: Fight Prostate Cancer National Spokesman. Know Your Score hosts an annual golf tournament to raise money to fight prostate cancer, provides free prostate cancer testing, and educates men about the disease.

"ZERO and its partners suffered a great loss and we are saddened by the passing of a wonderful advocate and colleague," said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO. "We can honor Jim's legacy by continuing to fight prostate cancer and supporting research to find the cure."

"Jim answered the call to help with our Know Your Score campaign immediately and fully. His committed involvement in the Know Your Score campaign helped to educate thousands of men about prostate cancer and no doubt saved many lives," said Mitch Laurance, ZERO Board Member. "All of us will be forever grateful for his unwavering support and will truly miss our friend and colleague."

Jim was an Emmy Award-winning essayist who joined Turner Sports full-time in 2000 and was an announcer for professional golf events and NBA games. He previously served as an anchor and reporter for CNN/Sports Illustrated and hosted CNN's Pro Golf Weekly and Sporting Life with Jim Huber.

Washington D.C. – The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge®, the premier men’s health event series in America, managed by ZERO – The Project to End Prostate Cancer, hosted events in 27 cities and raised nearly $2 million in 2011 for prostate cancer research, advocacy and awareness.

“This year, more than 240,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 34,000 will die from the disease,” said Skip Lockwood, CEO of ZERO — The Project to End Prostate Cancer. “In partnership with urology groups across the country and our sponsors, ZERO works to reduce these numbers through the GPCC events, which raise funds for critical research, advocacy and awareness efforts.”

The goal of the GPCC is to end prostate cancer by building a network of local race partners across the country with a massive amount of participants in the same way that organizations like The Susan G. Komen Foundation have brought attention to breast cancer and women’s health issues.

In 2007, Chesapeake Urology Associates (CUA), one of the largest urology practice groups in the nation and located in the greater Baltimore area, created an event solely focused on prostate cancer. The first GPCC 5K Race/1 Mile Fun Walk was held in September during National Prostate Cancer Health Month. It was the most successful first-time event of its kind in Maryland, with more than 1,100 participants and over $135,000 raised.

After the success of the Baltimore event, other urology groups across the country joined the GPCC to create awareness and raise funds for prostate cancer research through highly successful 5K run events. In 2009, ZERO took on the GPCC as its signature awareness and fundraising program in its efforts to save lives through research and testing.

The GPCC series exploded in 2011 by hosting more than 12,000 athletes in 27 cities across the nation including Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit and a celebrity golf tournament Myrtle Beach, SC. In 2012, the event series will expand to 35 cities including new events in Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Los Angeles and Shreveport.

Funds from the event series go to national and local efforts to save lives from prostate cancer. National funds help ZERO increase prostate cancer research funding from the federal government and provide free testing for high-risk men and local funds provide education and free testing in event communities.

Premier Partner Abbott and many other national and local sponsors dedicated to ending prostate cancer support the GPCC.

To learn more about the GPCC, visit www.greatprostatecancerchallenge.com.

More than 1 million prostate biopsies are performed in the United States each year. Although men are typically given antibiotics before the procedure to help ward off infection, this complication is one of the challenges physicians and patients face. According to Edward Schaeffer, MD, PhD, a Johns Hopkins urologist and oncologist and the study’s senior investigator, “the fact that infections serious enough to cause hospital admissions have been on the rise makes us think that these types of complications are occurring because of a steady increase in antimicrobial resistance rates in America.”

Along with a rise in the rate of infections following prostate biopsy, the study also revealed other complications, such as bleeding and flare-ups of underlying conditions, including breathing disorders and heart failure. Overall, the study, which will be published in the November 2011 issue of the Journal of Urology, found a 6.9% rate of hospitalization within 30 days of a prostate biopsy compared to a 2.9% rate among men who did not have a biopsy. The study looked at more than 17,400 men age 65 and older who had a prostate biopsy and compared them with 134,977 controls.

There is some good news from the study: the hospitalization rate following prostate biopsy has been dropping since 1991, so the 6.9% rate is an improvement. On the flip side, however, men hospitalized because they got a prostate biopsy-related infection had a 12-fold greater chance of dying compared with men who did not have a biopsy.

If you are contemplating a prostate biopsy, a discussion about potential complications is in order. H. Ballentine Carter, MD, coauthor of the Johns Hopkins study and a professor of urology and oncology, said “we believe that more needs to be done to reduce potential complications. It is important for urologists to determine if a biopsy is appropriate for an individual patient and also if the patient is at increased risk for a biopsy-related complication.”

Although this study was conducted in women, the same findings could be extrapolated to include men as well. Vitamin D is involved in maintaining muscle health in both men and women. Since both men and women have pelvic floor muscles that play a role in urinary control, a deficiency or low level of vitamin D could have a negative impact on muscle strength and structure in the pelvis necessary for urinary control.

The study involved 1,881 women (average age, 48) for whom the investigators compared vitamin D levels with the incidence of urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders. In addition to the association between a vitamin D deficiency and urinary incontinence, the authors also reported that the chance of having urinary incontinence was significantly reduced in women age 50 and older who had vitamin D levels of 30 ng/mL or higher.

The take-home message from this study is that vitamin D appears to have a significant role in urinary incontinence. Other studies have shown that vitamin D is an important nutrient for prostate and urinary health, and this one supports those findings as well.

Carrying excess weight may make urinary incontinence symptoms worse because it places extra pressure on the pelvic region, which in turn can stimulate the need to urinate. This effect, along with a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles, which may be associated with a vitamin D deficiency among other factors, can make urinary incontinence treatment challenging.

Results of the UCSF study, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, support the use of weight loss as a first-line treatment for urinary incontinence in overweight and obese women. Although this study involved women only, other studies with men have shown a relationship between being overweight or obese and urinary incontinence.

For example, a University of Washington Medical School study reported that in men who had undergone prostatectomy for prostate cancer, men who were not obese and who were physically active were 26 percent less likely to experience urinary incontinence than men who were obese and inactive. Another study of 252 men who underwent prostatectomy also reported that urinary incontinence was more likely to occur in men who were obese (25.8%) than in men who were not (8.7%). Therefore it appears that weight loss can improve urinary incontinence in both men and women.

The new study involved 388 men who had prostate cancer and 1,552 controls. An analysis of each case revealed that among men who had ever used statins, there was a significant increase in the risk of prostate cancer when compared with men who had never used the cholesterol-lowering drugs. As the cumulative dose of statins increased, so did the trend toward an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Previous studies have shown a different relationship between statin use and prostate cancer. In a recent study from Cleveland Clinic and published in the Journal of Urology, for example, a review of more than 4,200 men with prostate cancer looked at statin use and determined that “statin use was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer, less frequent high grade prostate cancer and lower volume prostate cancer, suggesting that statin use has a protective effect against prostate cancer.”

In a VA Boston Healthcare System study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a review of 55,875 men who either took a statin or high blood pressure medication were evaluated. Researchers found that statin users were 31% less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than men who took high blood pressure medication, and 60% less likely to be diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer.

In yet one more study run by the American Cancer Society, investigators examined the association between long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs (mostly statins) and the incidence of ten common types of cancer (including prostate cancer) among 133,255 men and women between 1997 and 2007. They found no increased incidence of any cancer associated with five or more years’ use of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

The new study showing an increased risk of prostate cancer associated with statin use may raise more questions than it answers. One thing it suggests is that the quest for whether statins are beneficial or hazardous to prostate health or have a role in prostate cancer is still uncertain.

From a pool of 64 RCTs, the reviewers selected only three that met their criteria. The three studies involved a total of 154 participants, and only one study provided figures on the incidence of prostate cancer: 10% in men who took lycopene compared with 30% in those in a control group. According to the reviewers, two of the three studies had a high risk of bias, and none of the studies provided “robust evidence” of the effect of lycopene on prostate cancer incidence, prostate symptoms, levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), or side effects.