Progress on Prostate Cancer: Surviving the Odds

Contact: Kevin M. Sanders, writer/editor, at (740) 593-0896.

ATHENS, Ohio (May 15, 2001) -- Each year, more than 200,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The disease is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. If tumors are detected and treated before they spread, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.

Michael Sutherland, D.O., will present "Progress on Prostate Cancer" noon to 1 p.m. May 21 in O'Bleness Memorial Hospital Room B-9.

Men who have family members who had prostate cancer are at greater risk for developing the disease. Black men have a 34 percent higher rate of incidence of prostate cancer than the American average.

"Men without these risk factors should be tested for prostate cancer yearly starting at age 50. They should receive a digital rectal exam and a PSA blood test during their physical examinations," he said.

PSA blood tests detect chemicals in the blood that can signify the presence of prostate cancer.

Sutherland has been an assistant professor of surgery with Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) for three years.

Health-care professionals are invited to attend the seminar. Brown bags are welcome. For more information, call the Geriatric Education Center at (740) 593-2258. This seminar is part of OU-COM's spring 2001 continuing education series on geriatric medicine and gerontology. Seminars are held from noon to 1:00 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month in O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Room B-9.

This seminar is the last of the spring series. Gillian Ice, Ph.D., presented "Sources of Stress in Long Term Care" March 5, Steven Clay, D.O., presented "Substance Abuse in the Older Adult" March 19 and Anil Jhangiani, M.D., presented "Coronary Artery Disease: Hypercholesterolemia Beyond the LDL Level" April 2. Julie Suhr, Ph.D. presented "Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation Program" April 16, and Thomas Murray presented "Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation Program" May 7.

The summer series will begin June 4 with Jerry Wilson's presentation of "Unfractioned Heparins or Low Molecular Weight Heparins in the Treatment of DVT." Tim Dransfield will present "Geriatric Care Management" June 18, Jen Tzer-Gau, M.D., Ph.D., will present "Osteoporosis: Update on its Diagnosis and Treatment July 2, and Ann Rathbaum, Ph.D. will present "Ageism" July 16.

"The seminars are designed for an interdisciplinary audience," said Ellen Peterson, R.N., OU-COM geriatric education coordinator. "Health professionals from the community regularly attend, in addition to interns, residents and medical students. The diversity of disciplines represented by the participants makes for an interesting exchange of ideas."

The sponsors of the seminars include the Department of Geriatric Medicine/Gerontology, the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center and Area Health Education Center and OU-COM.

Peterson said the seminar series was started by a federal grant that established OU-COM as a contributing site to the Western Reserve Geriatric Education Center in September 1994 and has supported many continuing education programs. Provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, the grant supports educational programs in geriatrics and gerontology for physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors and health-care providers to 22 Southeastern Ohio counties.