Blue September is an international awareness campaign developed to increase awareness of prostate cancer, is asking Americans to observe Blue Friday Sept. 14th. Moms, dads, grandparents, kids, schools, churches and retail establishments are encouraged to answer the call to action, “Get Blue! Face Up to Prostate Cancer,” by wearing blue or painting their faces blue this Friday.
According to Dr. Howard Sandler, a radiation oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, more than 240,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 33,000 died from the disease in 2011. One new case occurs every two minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 15 minutes.
Golden Globe winning actor Anthony LaPaglia and his wife, Actress Gia Carides, are two of the blue faces showing their support for the campaign.
“I think a lot of men try to avoid talking about prostate cancer and getting checked,” said Lapaglia. “I avoided getting checked for a long time but then realized it was not a wise thing to do. Putting blue paint on my face is me facing up to prostate cancer, and I think it’s time all men faced up.”
Funny man, Donald Faison, from the comedy series Scrubs, is also putting his popularity to good use and supporting the campaign. Faison said, “I will be affected in some way in my life by prostate cancer, whether it is me, a brother, or a friend it is bound to happen. Everyone around the age of 40 should have a conversation with their doctor about their prostate and get it checked.”
Joining the California Blue September team as sponsors this year are California Walnuts, Varian Medical Systems, 91X Radio and Men’s Health magazine. The good news is that many deaths from prostate cancer can be prevented by early detection. Here are some things men can do during the month to support Blue September:
- Eat right (including walnuts) and exercise.
- Know your family history and share it with family members.
- Do your research; be an active member on your healthcare team.
- If you are over 40 years-old, find a physician you trust and talk to them about developing a proactive prostate care plan.
- Talk to your peers and friends; make prostate cancer something to talk about.
- If you are given a diagnosis of prostate cancer, do not panic detected early, it is highly treatable. Even in cases of advanced disease, there are more effective treatment options than ever before.
For more information or to participate in a Blue Friday event, visit www.blueSeptember.org. Follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/USABlueSeptember and on twitter @BlueSeptemberUS.
