Experts Available for Comment on Latest Research, Treatment Options and Prevention Education

Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., August 27, 2012 – The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatments and prevention options surrounding prostate cancer during September, which is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men, other than skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer death in males. It is estimated that approximately 240,000 new cases of prostate cancer will occur in the United States this year, with 32,000 deaths. In New Jersey, 7,800 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed, while approximately 940 men will die from the disease. African American men are at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

CINJ experts available for comment include:

Isaac Kim, MD, PhD, chief of Urologic Oncology and executive director of the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at CINJ; and associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Kim has a specialty interest in robotic and minimally-invasive surgery and performs a high volume of these surgeries on prostate cancer patients each year.

Thomas L. Jang, MD, MPH, urologic oncologist at CINJ and assistant professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Jang is responsible for overseeing the clinical component of CINJ’s annual prostate cancer screening effort and can discuss the importance of testing, especially for at-risk populations such as African American men and those with a family history.

Michael Karellas, MD, urologic oncologist at CINJ and assistant professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Karellas is part of a comprehensive team that diagnoses and treats men with prostate cancer. He can discuss the risk factors for developing prostate cancer, the latest treatment options available, and advances in prostate cancer research.

Mark N. Stein, MD, medical oncologist at CINJ, and assistant professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Stein has a clinical and research interest in prostate cancer and can discuss how current Phase I clinical trials are leading to innovative treatment options for the disease. Grace Lu-Yao, PhD, MPH, cancer epidemiologist at CINJ, and associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She has studied the issue of whether conservative management can be a viable option for older men diagnosed with Stage I or Stage II prostate cancer in preserving their quality of life in their later years.

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