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Congress maintains prostate cancer research funding at historic $110M

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Washington, D.C. – In a time when politicians are often pitted against one another, members of the U.S. House of Representatives on both sides of the aisles have once again come together to save men’s lives. Earlier today, the House voted to maintain the highest ever funding for the Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP), at a historic level of $110M. FY20 was the first year $110M was granted to the program, which helps seed more research projects and innovative breakthroughs for the nation’s more than three million prostate cancer patients. ZERO is grateful for the leadership of Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), along with DoD Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky (D-IN) and Ranking Member Ken Calvert (R-CA) in this effort. More than 150 Representatives have signed-on in support of maintaining PCRP funding at its current levels. Additionally, ZERO applauds the hundreds of fierce advocates and ZERO Champions from around the country who have attended the ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit, an annual advocacy and education event on Capitol Hill that brings awareness to the critical need for more prostate cancer research funding. These individuals, plus all those who have called and written to their elected officials in support of prostate cancer research, have made a difference through their concerted efforts. 

 

Since its founding, the work of the PCRP has led to four market-ready advanced prostate cancer treatments (XGEVAⓇ, ZYTIGAⓇ, XTANDIⓇ, and ERLEADAⓇ) and one diagnostic test (Oncotype DX AR-V7 Test).

“This is an awesome victory for patients and their families,” said ZERO CEO, Jamie Bearse. “By keeping the PCRP funded at its highest-ever level, patients in the fight of their lives have one more reason to hope. Breakthroughs from the PCRP have proven to lead to tomorrow’s life-saving treatments and diagnostic tools.” Caesar Blevins, an advanced prostate cancer patient in Kansas City, travels to the nation’s capital every year for the ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit, where he shares his personal and touching cancer story with his elected officials in Congress. “I will keep coming back as long as I need to in order to help save the lives of patients like me,” said Blevins. “I’m grateful to all the Congressional leaders who worked hard to ensure that patients like me have more hope and support thanks to the potential of new treatment possibilities.”

New treatment options for advanced prostate cancer patients are critical to survival. Prostate cancer — which kills a man every 16 minutes —  has only about a 30 percent survival rate once it reaches advanced stages. This appropriation is expected to move to the Senate in the near future. To stay tuned to upcoming advocacy alerts on this important initiative, visit www.zerocancer.org/take-action/advocate

 

 

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