Mission.

The mission of APCaP is to bring public and private business leaders, legislators, health providers and administrators, researchers, federal, state and local health officials into a coordinated cohesive forum to enhance and promote prostate cancer awareness, education, research and primary and secondary prevention programs. The goal of this diversified stakeholder group is to implement and evaluate ambitious plans that are designed to eliminate prostate cancer as a health threat in the United States by 2010.

Background.

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in the United States and men's second leading cause of death to cancer. While the disease will claim nearly 31,000 deaths this year, there is growing evidence that educational efforts leading to early detection and diagnosis are resulting in lower mortality. Moreover, the emergence of other early intervention methods, such as primary prevention of prostate cancer, is encouraging scientists and health professionals as well.

There is increasing reason to believe that men need not die from this disease. While uncertainty continues to surround prostate cancer treatment and research leading to absolute cures lies ahead, there is no question that proactive awareness and prevention programs, properly conceived and undertaken, can save many lives now and in the immediate future.

Several organizations addressing cancer generally and prostate cancer specifically currently perform such needed work as counseling newly diagnosed men about treatment choices and helping resolve the psychosocial problems of men with advanced prostate cancer. Alliance for Prostate Cancer Prevention (APCaP) has been created to support efforts to prevent the serious consequences of the disease itself for men who have not been diagnosed and are unaware of the deadly effects of prostate cancer.