Fourteen retired National Football League (NFL) players took charge of their prostate health by getting screened for prostate cancer during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival and game, which took place August 2-3 in Canton, Ohio. The screening represented the kickoff of a prostate cancer research and awareness initiative launched by the AUA Foundation and funded by the NFL Player Care Foundation.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, 14 retired NFL players were screened by urologists, phlebotomists and an oncologist at Aultman Hospital in Canton.

This prostate health research and awareness program is one in a series of recent programs that the NFL and the NFL Players Association have initiated to address the medical needs of retired players. Funding for some of these research and education programs comes from the NFL Player Care Foundation, which was created in 2007 in part to address health and quality of life issues encountered by retired players.

The AUA Foundation was also present at the Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival to provide prostate cancer information to thousands of fans outside Fawcett Stadium over the course of the weekend.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in the United States,” said AUA Foundation Executive Director Sandra Vassos, MPA. “We are so pleased that the NFL Player Care Foundation has made awareness for this disease a priority and that we can help facilitate this initiative.”

“Retired NFL players should be proud that they are taking charge of their health and serving as leaders in the community. We hope that this research will encourage other men to get screened for prostate cancer,” Vassos added.

More than 27,000 men will die from prostate cancer in 2008, according to the AUA Foundation. Screening and early detection is the best defense against the disease. Prostate cancer is most treatable when found early. The American Urological Association (AUA) recommends annual screening starting at age 50. African-American men and those with a family history of the disease are at a greater risk and should begin screening earlier.

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