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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Wake Radiology Oncology Announces Support of Golf Classic to Benefit
Prostate Cancer Education
CARY (August 1, 2007) – Wake Radiology Oncology Services has signed on as an Elite sponsor for this year’s Devil’s Ridge Charity Golf Classic, scheduled for Wednesday, September 26 at the golf course in Holly Springs. The annual fundraiser goes to support the Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina (PCCNC), a non-profit organization that helps raise awareness of prostate cancer in the state. The organization promotes prostate cancer screening and testing programs, and has a goal of reducing the number of deaths from prostate cancer in the state by 50 percent in five years.
The daylong event, which costs $85 a person, will feature a four-person scramble format, hole-in-one contests, prizes and raffles, along with breakfast and lunch provided to golfers.
“We are pleased to be a part of this year’s event to raise money to help combat prostate cancer,” said Scott Sailer, MD, co-medical director, Wake Radiology Oncology Services. “While prostate cancer is very curable in the early stages, we have to do a better job of encouraging men to have regular screenings for the disease. Support from this tournament will help further the Prostate Cancer Coalition’s goal of reducing the number of deaths from prostate cancer in our state.”
In the United States, prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers. This year, nearly 220,000 men in the United States and more than 6,800 North Carolinians will be diagnosed with the disease. While very curable if the cancer is found locally or regionally, meaning it is confined to the prostate or spread to regional sites, it becomes more difficult to cure once it has spread to distant sites in the body. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men, behind lung cancer. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Men who are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease have nearly a 100 percent five-year survival rate, while men who are diagnosed once the cancer has spread to organs or bones have a 34 percent five-year survival rate.
“We’re appreciative of the support of cancer care leaders in our community,” noted Lawrence Bindseil, tournament director. “It takes a dedicated team effort to raise the awareness of prostate cancer and to make sure that men fully understand their risks and the importance of testing. It also takes innovation in care, and we are fortunate to have Wake Radiology Oncology Services in our community.”
Proceeds from the tournament will be used to develop statewide prostate cancer awareness campaigns, including the Partners Program, a breast and prostate cancer dual awareness campaign and the PCCNC Annual Screening Guidelines. Over the past two years, the golf tournament has raised more than $50,000 in support of the PCCNC.
For more information on the Devil’s Ridge Charity Golf Classic, go to www.devilsridgecc.com.
About Wake Radiology Oncology Services
Wake Radiology Oncology Services is the Triangle’s first freestanding, full-service, outpatient radiation therapy center. Its state-of-the-art facility combines the newest technology in three-dimensional radiation therapy with the expertise of highly trained professionals to provide thorough, quality care for each patient. The practice was the first to offer Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) to treat prostate cancer in our region.
About the Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina
The Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina was founded in 2001. It is a community of people dedicated to the defeat of prostate cancer. The coalition focuses on raising awareness of prostate cancer as a major health threat to North Carolina families; promoting community, state and national actions to battle the disease; and uniting and coordinating efforts to increase the effectiveness of those affected or concerned about prostate cancer. For more information about the Prostate Cancer Coalition of North Carolina, call 919-321-0365 or online at www.pccnc.org.