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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />PROCLAMATION <br />"PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH" <br />WHEREAS, in the year 2003, the month of September is declared National Prostate Cancer <br />Awareness Month; and, <br />WHEREAS, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the <br />second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men; and, <br />WHEREAS, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be 39,600 new cases of <br />cancer this year in North Carolina, of which 6,800 will involve cancer of the prostate, which <br />will result in an estimated 900 deaths; and, <br />WHEREAS, about 25% of prostate cancer affects men under the age of 65, during their <br />prime years at work and, at any age, deaths due to prostate cancer devastate families, <br />through loss of income, partnership, and support; and, <br />WHEREAS, mortality rates in African-American men are more than two and a half times as <br />high as rates in Caucasian men; and, <br />WHEREAS, prostate cancer has accounted for, on average, 16 percent of the nation's cancer <br />burden, yet it has received, on average, only about 5 percent of the funds this nation commits <br />to cancer research; and, <br />WHEREAS, we do not fully understand the factors that contribute to the development and <br />progression of prostate cancer into an aggressive disease, and additional research is <br />important to refine the screening and treatment of prostate cancer, and to ensure efficient <br />delivery of these health care services by a unified standard of care; and <br />WHEREAS, educating the people of Orange County including health care providers, about <br />Prostate Cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to saving men's lives and preserving <br />and protecting our families; and, <br />NOW, THEREFORE the Orange County Board of Commissioners does hereby proclaim the <br />month of September 2003 as "Prostate Cancer Awareness Month" in Orange County, and <br />urges all men in Orange County to become aware of their own risks of prostate cancer, talk to <br />their health care providers about prostate cancer and, whenever appropriate, be screened for <br />the disease. The Board further encourages all residents to become involved in the war on <br />prostate cancer through education and advocacy initiatives. <br />This the 19th day of August, 2003. ^/?~ ~,c-~ lGt <br />Margaret W. Brown, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />