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2003-06-23
Alcoa Warrick Operations Hosts Cancer Screening for Men
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It is surprising how many Tri-State men don't know what prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is or how important their PSA level can be in detecting whether they have prostate cancer. And apparently, many of them aren't willing to take the time to find out, even when they can have their PSA level tested at no cost.
Doctors at Evansville Cancer Center are finding out just how difficult it can be to educate men about the prostate gland and to raise awareness about prostate cancer. The center has developed a program offering free prostate screenings targeting higher-risk male employees at area industries. The first screening was at Alcoa.
Evansville Cancer Center marketing director Robin Lawrence-Broesch said the turnout was disappointing. Out of more than 2,200 employees, Lawrence-Broesch said, there was the potential to screen up to 1,032 men who fell within the higher-risk category. They represented 934 white men age 50 or older and 98 black men over the age of 40, the two higher-risk groups. Only 74 men showed up for the free prostate exam and PSA test.
Despite the dismal turnout, doctors believe the screening was successful. One 54-year-old man who had never had a PSA test learned that his PSA was 90. A PSA level higher than 4 can indicate the presence of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer will kill nearly 29,000 people in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society, including 700 Hoosiers. The cancer society estimates more than 220,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2003.
The center will continue to line up more businesses for free prostate screenings in September. Perhaps a new study by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York will convince more men it's time to get their PSA level checked.
The study, published in the May 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, recommends a second PSA test for men who have an elevated PSA level on the first test. The lead author of the study, Dr. James A. Eastham, said PSA, a protein produced by the prostate gland, can increase as a result of other causes. In some cases, he said, prostate cancer can occur without increasing the PSA level at all.
The bottom line for men at risk is to get a prostate exam and talk to a doctor about the benefits and limitations of a PSA test.
Medicare now pays part of MS drug costs
A new study on two drugs used to treat multiple sclerosis gives the edge to Rebif, although the other drug, Avonex, is the only drug covered by Medicare. The study, by researchers at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, found that after 63 weeks of treatment, 56 percent of the MS patients given Rebif did not have a relapse, while of those who received Avonex, 48 percent did not relapse.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. A story on the study was published this month by WebMD Medical News.
Researchers found that while both of the
interferon-based drugs are injected, the frequency of treatment and the dosage used in the study were different. Rebif was injected under the skin at a higher dose three times a week. Avonex was given at a lower dose once a week, and the medication was injected directly into muscles along the hip, thigh or upper arm.
"I think there is evidence - and not just from this evidence trial - that suggests that patients on a higher-dose, more frequent administration of interferon will be more likely to have, on average, a lower relapse rate," said Dr. Aaron Miller, the chief medical officer of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Now that Medicare has agreed to allow reimbursement of Avonex to treat MS, more patients may choose to take the lower-dose therapy. HealthSouth Tri-State Rehabilitation Hospital has met all of the requirements for Medicare coverage of Avonex at its MS Clinic. However, Judi Kuric, a nurse practitioner at the clinic, said the problem is, not very many MS patients and few health-care providers are aware of the reimbursement.
Kuric said that without reimbursement, Avonex costs approximately $1,200 per month. She said patients with Medicare Part B coverage are eligible to receive the treatments for a 20 percent co-pay, or $47 per weekly injection. If they hold secondary insurance, there is no cost to the patient. MS patients interested in learning more about Avonex and Medicare coverage may contact Kuric at 476-9983, Ext. 6400.
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