February is for Fighters

After 11 months of treatment, Mixed Martial Arts Hype Man Burt Watson is cancer free, thanks to early detection. His family history of cancer lead Burt to persist with health checkups and now he’s joining ZERO this month to help raise awareness about prostate cancer.

As some of you know, the crazy notion of jumping into a boxing ring at the age of 45 to raise awareness for prostate cancer prompted me to enter an amateur bout this spring. Two weeks ago, I began my training at Jim McNally Boxing in Reading, MA (that’s Redding for those outside of New England) and immediately learned Jim’s nearly three years out from fighting prostate cancer. An unrelated check-up lead to a positive test result for prostate cancer. Fortunately, doctors caught it early and Jim has ZERO cancer today.

February is also Cancer Prevention Month and we need more stories like Burt and Jim. But I’m concerned. Stats coming out of the National Cancer Institute suggest prostate cancer deaths will rise this year by 3,000. It’s a staggering jump for a disease with a 99 percent survival rate when caught early. I believe it’s because guys aren’t getting the testing, genetic counseling, and appropriate treatment plans to beat this disease.

This is why it’s critical to champion this cause and it’s where you come in. As a ZERO Champion, we need your help to spread the word for men to be their own best advocates for their health. Only YOU have the unique ability to reach people in your neighborhood and friendship circles that we can’t reach.

Can you share your best picture that shows how you’ve taken the fight to prostate cancer? Our advocates will storm Capitol Hill later this month to advance prostate cancer research and we want to take you with us. The lives of 30,000 men and the hearts of all the families who love them are at stake and we must show there’s vast support to zero out prostate cancer.

With you championing the cause, we can have more stories of early detection saving lives.