Over the week-end I received an e-mail from Mike Crosby, Founder of Veterans Prostate Cancer Awareness inviting Peter Kafka, our Board Chair, and myself to attend a meeting in DC with the VA. The invitation noted a significant increase in de novo metastatic diagnosis amongst Veterans based on a recent PCF/VHA study.
Well HELLO…….. AnCan wants to note that 1) this is not just amongst Vets alone, and 2) we are we hardly surprised based on the ‘criminal’ 2012 USPSTF PSA Advisory that condemned tens of thousands of men to death?!
Some of us spoke up loudly at the time – we did not need to be Carnac the Magnificent to see the implications of this shortsighted, idiotic recommendation not to test for PSA. Of course more men would only be diagnosed once symptomatic … and then too late. PSA testing is about information not treatment – the UPSTF failed to make that distinction.With not even a single urologist or genitourinary medical oncologist on their panel, this bordered on USPSTF negligence; we said so at the time. And where was the VA voice then – they could have brought their weight to bear on the USPSTF but I don’t recall them doing so … correct me if I am wrong.
ZERO is also part of this current initiative. They are referred to as the most influential patient advocacy organization in the USA – maybe on The Hill but beyond that is questionable. Whenever we have tried to work with ZERO collaboratively, they have always shunned us … and others. So we now issue an invitation to ZERO as well as all the other prostate cancer organizations to work TOGETHER to raise awareness of our insidious disease; not just for Vets but for all US men, especially those at greater risk for de novo metastatic diagnosis.