Senator Boxer Introduces Prostate Cancer Bill

August 3, 2007

I recently introduced legislation to encourage the development of new technologies in the fight against prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Prostate cancer afflicts one out of every six men.

My legislation mirrors the investment that the federal government has made in advanced imaging technologies for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. That investment has already saved many lives and it will continue to do so in the future.

The Prostate Research, Imaging, and Men’s Education (PRIME) Act calls for expanding prostate cancer research and provides resources to develop advanced imaging technologies for prostate cancer. The bill authorizes $130 million each year for five years to expand research to develop innovative technologies for prostate cancer, create a national campaign to increase awareness, and research improvements to prostate cancer screening blood tests.

The current technology and screening techniques result in a number of false-negative reassurances and false-positive alarms. According to a recent National Cancer Institute study, almost 15 percent of men with normal test results actually have prostate cancer.

My bill would also direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a national campaign to increase awareness about the need for prostate cancer screening. The PRIME Act will help educate families about the benefits of prostate cancer screening. You can count on me to work for the passage of this bill to better protect our fathers, our brothers and our sons from this disease.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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