Prostate Cancer Awareness or the lack of it in Israel

[Lenny Hirsch]

For the last seven years or more I have been very activelly involved with the promotion of PCa awareness and councelling. I am receiving over 100 calls a month from people looking for guidence and support. For years I have been amazed by the amount of men being dxed with advanced cancer. I put this down to the following reasons;
1. A largly uneducated population who in many cases think that it is normal for a man over the age of sixty to get up two or three times a night to urinate
2. Many family physicians seem to be unaware of the few sympons of PCa. The following example explains what I mean. Alkobi at the age of 47 was getting up three or for times a night. His FP sent him for an ultrasound and had his sugar checked. Nothing was found and he was told that things would correct themselves. It was only after he was almost crippled with pain and hospitalized that he was dxed with PCa. A few months later I attended his funeral
3. The Health Insurance Funds do not demand awareness from their physicians
4. The Israeli Cancer Association, which does a tremendous amount of good work in the country has had PCa on a back burner. After years of fighting for a PCa Awareness day in September together with some of the leading PCa specialists we managed to have them promote an awareness day,12th September. This has been done at a very low key

For some time I have wanted to set up a body that could change the above situation. Together with a few others plus PCa specialists we are in the proccess of establishing a non profit organization, " Living With Prostate Cancer" . I have been promised funding from a few drug companies once we have registered the organization. This registeration can take some time.

I am asking for some help, advice and ideas for promoting PCa awareness and educating the Israeli public.

The diagnosis of the Prime Minister has certainly raised more of an awareness.

The BC pink ribbon and car stickers are distributed here, but nothing for the men. Is the blue ribbon that I hear so much about distributed free of charge? Is there any way that I could lay my hands on some?

For September ,together with the Israeli Urology Association, we are hoping to have an urologist in all the major centers give a talk about PCa. Admission will be free of charge. I am hoping that the drug companies that promised funds will come through with the funds to cover the advertising. For the last few years I have given press and radio interviews.

I appreciate any input

[Arnon Krongrad, MD]

Lenny, take a look at the conversation in Africa group about RSS syndication and ways to get content to media. There is also a way to develop country specific pages on the main site. Perhaps ask send a group email in the Activists and Advocates group ("send message to group") to ask about the blue ribbons; you can also start a discussion (+Start Discussion). Finally, I know that Bnai Zion Hospital wants to do a project with my hospital at Aventura. If there is interest by all parties, I'd welcome a chance to work with Bnai Zion, Aventura Hospital, and you.

[Lenny Hirsch]

Hi Arnon,

As I once explained to you I am not that familiar with computer language. What is RSS?

[Lenny Hirsch]

I have very good connections with Bnei Zion. Are you in contact with Ofer Nativ? He is in charge of the Urology Dept. He is rated as one of the top RP surgoens in the country.