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| The Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition was formed in 1999 by several prostate cancer activists in
Central Pennsylvania. A meeting was held in Harrisburg that fall to begin the outreach to other areas of the state. That is a continuing mission of the PPCC.
The PPCC provides an organization to help coordinate and enhance the efforts of all organizations within Pennsylvania who are helping in the fight against prostate cancer. |
The PPCC is still growing. If you are in an organization appropriate to our cause, and would like to be involved, please send an Email to one of our Board of Directors. If you are involved in a support group or similar prostate cancer-oriented endeavor in the state, we'd like to know about your work. Also, we'd like to list specifics about your group on this site. Please send an Email with particulars to the PPCC Secretary, Bob Southard at
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PPCC Board of Directors Meeting |
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Date: TBD Time: TBD Location: TBD
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A Special Note on Medicare Changes |
| Recent changes in Medicare Part B may affect your health
care.
Reimbursements for drugs administered in-office are being cut. Because of a loophole in reimbursement changes, your healthcare provider may have financial incentives to change the type of drug that you are receiving. Such a change may not be in your best interests, and may be illegal if done solely for financial reasons. While most physicians will act in the best interests of their patients, some physicians may be prompted to switch courses of treatment from one month to longer duration treatments, to maximize reimbursement. And, if your doctor changes your treatment to a longer term therapy in 2004, your copays could be higher than making that change in 2005. Anytime your therapy is being changed, ask questions and get answers that you can understand, and that are in YOUR best interests. See the links at the right for more info. Remember, YOU are in charge of your health care, and your health care providers are your best coaches |
Links for more info on Medicare changes
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PSA test recommended for men at age 40! |
| The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has recommended
more aggressive prostate cancer screening, including testing all men as
early as age 40. This provides a baseline for comparison for future
tests. In addition, if the PSA is above 2.5 ng/ml at this age, it
may indicate that further tests are necessary. See
the May 2004 US Too Hot Sheet for more info.
Deaths from prostate cancer have been dropping, and many of us believe that this is in large part due to screening, and early detection. Treatments are much more successful for early stage disease. The enlightened approach recommended by NCCN is to be commended. |
A Special Project -- Father's Day Cards |
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| Father's Day is June,
16th this year. PPCC is providing a special card that can be posted
on bulletin boards of your church, place of employment, community stores
and buildings, and many other places. The card is 5.5" by
8.5". Let people know you care. Contact any of the Board
of Directors for more information about copies for your organization.
Click on the card on the right for a larger view. Download a PDF copy of the card that you can print by clicking here. If you need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader software for PDF files, check the Adobe web site at www.adobe.com
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Special thanks and recognition to those who provided financial support for the Father's Day Card project |
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A Reminder |
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Pennsylvania newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations provide information for community groups by region. Contact PPCC and your local media to publicize your activities. |
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Support Groups |
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| Search your region for prostate cancer support. |
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| Local Support Site | Region |
| 1 - | 1 - Greater Philadelphia |
| 2 - | 2 - Lehigh Valley |
| 3 - | 3 - Northeast PA |
| 4 - Central Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Support Site. | 4 - Central PA, Susquehanna Valley |
| 5 - | 5 - Central PA, Mid-State |
| 6 - | 6 - Northwest PA |
| 7 - | 7 - Greater Pittsburgh |
A Special Presentation |
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| The Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition Presents: A Prostate Cancer Alert is a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation that offers data that can be used to emphasize the seriousness of this disease. Download it by clicking above. |  |
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PPCC is a non-profit charitable organization with 501(c)3 tax-free status. If you would like to contribute to our work, please contact our Treasurer, Don Kulp at 717 898-5773, or one of our Board members. |
Other valuable organizations and web sites for prostate cancer |
| American Cancer Society |  |
| American Foundation for Urologic Disease |  |
| National Prostate Cancer Coalition |  |
| Alliance for Prostate Cancer Prevention |  |
| Last
Updated: July 23, 2004
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