Senator introduces bill naming September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Senator Dave Wilson introduced SCR 71 which would name September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Delaware

As legislators near the end of their session, Senator Dave Wilson introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 71, which will recognize the month of September 2023 as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in the state of Delaware.

In 2023, approximately 288,300 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and result in an estimated 34,700 deaths. Studies show that 1 in 456 men under 50 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common among men, following only skin cancer, but can be treated successfully if caught in the early stages. Since 2014, the incidence of prostate cancer has increased by about three percent overall and by about five percent for advanced-stage cancer. Statistics show that one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.

The disease is more common in older men and has a higher incidence in non-Hispanic black men. About 60 percent of cases are diagnosed in men over 65 and it is rare in men under 40.

Prostate cancer is also the second leading cause of death in American men, only following lung cancer with about 1 in 41 men dying of the illness. However, with early detection, prostate cancer can be treated and there are currently more than 3 million men alive today who were diagnosed with the disease.

For more information about prostate cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.