Private MD News

Bill seeks to extend PSA testing to more men

Category: Prostate

In an effort to reduce the number of prostate cancer deaths among African American men, lawmakers in Washington are throwing their support behind a bill that would make grant money available to develop more accurate PSA tests, and to help make these tests more widely available.

The Prostate Research, Imaging and Men's Education (PRIME) act would make $650 million dollars available to research and advocacy groups to help make PSA testing more available to African American Men.

This demographic is 60 percent more likely than white men to be diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer and up to 250 percent more likely to die from the diagnosis.

"The PRIME Act will serve as a 'Manhattan Project' for ending the prostate cancer as a socio-economic crisis in our country and a public health disaster among African American men," said Dr Faina Shtern in a presentation to the Congressional Black Caucus. "This legislation will enable development of lifesaving tools for mass screening."

The act is endorsed by public health groups across the country and has been introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives.