TV Ad on Prostate Cancer Prevention Will Target States with High Mortality, South Carolina Is Number One

COLUMBIA, S.C.—In time for Father's Day, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is launching a TV ad campaign on prostate cancer prevention. The 30-second spot, "Dairy and Prostate Cancer Risk," will air either as a public service announcement or as a paid ad in the seven states hardest hit with prostate cancer mortality—South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia. The District of Columbia, with a mortality rate higher than any of the states, will be targeted as well.

"Prostate cancer has been linked to dairy product consumption in 16 studies published in medical and scientific journals," states PCRM president Neal D. Barnard, M.D. "The Harvard Physicians Study, for instance, showed that 2-1/2 servings of dairy per day boosted prostate cancer risk by more than 30 percent."

In another study, researchers in Athens, Greece, calculated that the combined effect of reducing dairy consumption, substituting olive oil for other added fats, and increasing tomato intake could reduce prostate cancer risk in their population by 41 percent. Tomatoes, watermelons and other bright red fruits contain lycopene, which reduces cancer risk.

"The best Father's Day present you could give your dad is this advice: avoid dairy products and go for the pasta marinara and other healthful, low-fat vegetarian fare," says Dr. Barnard. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are low in fat, high in fiber, and loaded with protective cancer-fighting nutrients.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.