June 15, 2000

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, today announced that $170,000 has been awarded to eight agencies for pilot projects to promote screening and educational activities associated with prostate and testicular cancers.

"By taking charge of their health and recognizing the value of preventive health practices such as prostate cancer screening, Illinois men can live longer, healthier and more productive lives," Dr. Lumpkin said in making the announcement as part of Men's Health Week in Illinois.

The grants are part of the Department's new Prostate and Testicular Cancer Program, which was created and funded by the Illinois General Assembly in 1999. The agencies funded will offer free prostate cancer screenings, including a digital rectal exam and the prostate-specific antigen blood test, through the end of June. Targeted populations are uninsured and underinsured men 50 years of age and older and those 40 to 50 years of age who are at high risk for prostate cancer. The agencies also will provide testicular cancer information and screenings.

Grants were awarded to the following agencies:

• Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital/Rural Health Partnership for Logan County, Lincoln, $1,100
• Bethesda Center/New Christian Valley, Englewood, $50,000
• Livingston County Health Department, $7,500
• Macon County Health Department, $48,400
• Macoupin County Health Department, $2,000
• Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation Inc., East St. Louis, $19,000
• Springfield Department of Public Health, $2,000
• Winnebago County Health Department, $40,000

Cancer screenings are important tools that can identify cancers while they are still localized and are more easily cured. No single test, however, is completely accurate in detecting cancer.

"Screenings are but one step men need to take to protect their health," Dr. Lumpkin said. "It is important for everyone to see a physician on a regular basis for a complete medical exam."

Prostate cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Illinois males between 1986 and 1997, accounting for approximately one-fourth of cancer diagnoses. Black males had the highest prostate cancer incidence rates among all race-ethnic groups, approximately 45 percent higher than those observed for white males. About 1,500 Illinois men die each year from prostate cancer.

Gov. George H. Ryan has proclaimed the week of June 12-18 as Men's Health Week in Illinois, which is being held in conjunction with the national observance of Men's Health Week.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments