Press Release from the Cancer Institute of New Jersey
October 4, 2006
Contact: Candace Botnick
Office of Communications
732/235-9871
botnicca@umdnj.edu
Close to 500 Men Screened for Prostate Cancer in Three Days
Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men
New Brunswick—In an effort to reduce New Jersey's high
incidence of prostate cancer, the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at The Cancer
Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) along with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital provided
free prostate cancer screenings for men 50 years and older with no history of prostate cancer or
40 years and older with a family history of prostate cancer. 483 men received a prostate specific
antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectum exam (DRE) during the three-day program on
September 25, 26, and 27. Along with the screening, participants received educational material
on early detection and prevention of prostate cancer.
"Research has shown that early detection of prostate cancer does save lives. These screening
exams, can alert physicians to early stage prostate cancer that can, in most cases, be successfully
treated," stated Ronald A. Morton, Jr., M.D., Director of Urologic Oncology at CINJ and
Professor of Surgery, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
In 2006 the American Cancer Society estimates that 234,460 new cases of prostate cancer in the
US and 7,000 new cases in New Jersey will occur. Nearly 1,000 men in New Jersey will die
from the disease this year alone. New Jersey has one of the highest incidences of prostate cancer
in the United States. African-American men have the world’s highest rate of prostate cancer and
prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer
death among Hispanic men. Early detection of prostate cancer is pivotal to improving the
chances of successful treatment for the disease.
"Outreach and education to the community is key in increasing the public's knowledge about the
importance of early detection and prevention of prostate cancer," stated Betty I Gallo, Director of
Community Outreach and Government Affairs for the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer
Center at CINJ. "We hope our efforts will save the lives of our fathers, grandfathers, brothers,
sons and uncles as we work to encourage more men to get screened for prostate cancer," Gallo
continued.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is New Jersey's first and only National Cancer Institutedesignated
Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is dedicated to improving the prevention,
detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer. CINJ's physician-scientists engage in
translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice-quite
literally bringing research to life. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Center of Excellence
of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. To support CINJ, please call The Cancer
Institute of New Jersey Foundation at 732/235-8614.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and
provides a mechanism to rapidly disseminate important discoveries into the community. Partner
Hospitals: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Atlantic Health System (Morristown
Memorial Hospital, Mountainside Hospital, Overlook Hospital). Affiliate Hospitals: Bayshore
Community Hospital, CentraState Healthcare System, Cooper University Hospital (CINJ at
Cooper),* Jersey Shore University Medical Center, JFK Medical Center, Monmouth Medical
Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton
(CINJ-Hamilton), Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Somerset Medical Center, Southern Ocean
County Hospital, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School,* and University
Medical Center at Princeton
*Academic Affiliate
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