Why You Should 'Go Blue!' to Fight Prostate Cancer

Sure, you've heard of prostate cancer. But how aware of it are you?

Probably not much more than I was when -- after an inadvertent test last year -- I learned that I had prostate cancer. And for those who consider it an "old man's disease," I was 35 years old.

Now I'm making it my mission to raise America's awareness of this disease, which will kill 33,000 American husbands, fathers, sons and brothers this year. I believe we all can help, which is why I launched the Blue Cure Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

It's also why I ardently support September's National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, for which I've produced a special 90-second "Go Blue!" video I urge you to see, either on this page or at http://youtu.be/yiY5GoLdkG4.

In it, you'll find tips on how to "Go Blue!' so we all can combat men's prostate cancer, much as the "pink" movement has done for women's breast cancer.

You can "wear blue" by donning blue ribbons, neckties or wristbands. You can "network blue" by changing Twitter and Facebook profile pictures to blue squares for a month. And you can "speak blue" by exhorting male friends and relatives to get earlier screenings and adopt healthier lifestyles for food and exercise.

You also can "speak blue" by asking business, government, civic and social leaders to take action. I'm doing that in my hometown of Houston, where City Hall will be bathed in blue light for one week in September to draw more light to a type of cancer that takes the lives of so many American men each year.

You'd think that we'd be beyond this point, yet prostate cancer is still seriously underreported and underfunded. That's despite the fact that over 217,000 American males were diagnosed last year.

I was one of them, so what makes me so special? Well, what makes any of us special? It's because we're human beings -- not statistics. And some of us -- me included -- are fighting back.

The Blue Cure Foundation (www.bluecure.org) advises men to start getting screened for prostate cancer at age 30, not 40. It also encourages men to adopt healthier lifestyles and supports the research being done to find a cure. Ultimately, the foundation is clamoring for more awareness.

None of us can do this alone. We need collective action, which can come with greater awareness.

That's why this month is so important. If we can't spike awareness during National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, when can we? Now is the time. Now we must seize the moment.

Many already have, and I thank such high-profile Blue Cure supporters as actors Fran Drescher, Bob Saget and Sir Roger Moore, model Hope Dworaczyk, former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.

But we also need you -- and that's why I'm reaching out.

Please view my "Go Blue!" video and heed its message. The life you ultimately save may be that of a brother, father, son -- or yourself. And if that's not worth our greater awareness, I don't know what is.

 

Follow Gabe Canales on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BlueCureGabe

Comments

[Ted Crawford]

05:28 PM on 09/14/2011

There is now substantial evidence that both prostate cancer and breast cancer are directly related to the dietary habits of Americans. The higher amount of meat and dairy we consume the higher rate of breast and prostate cancer. In countries where dairy and meat are either not eaten or very little eaten, these two cancers are nearly non-existent. We could so much more in preventing these cancers before they even start by educating people on how to prevent them by changing their eating habits. Best of luck Gabe!

[Eroshan]

01:56 PM on 09/12/2011

Gabe, I hope your prognosis is good. Thanks for reminding me to have my PSA checked.

[tmorrow266]

12:44 PM on 09/09/2011

There are so many small things that we can all do to help raise awareness, men and women alike! Encourage the men in lives to get prostate cancer screening and help dismiss some of the myths that this disease only occurs in old men or that this is a disease that men die with and not from. The truth is we lose over 32,000 of our fathers, husbands, friends, lovers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers to prostate cancer each year. Way to go Gabe, keep up the good work!

[AC Guts]

11:00 AM on 09/09/2011

I don't mean to knit-pick or anything, and I truly support your cause, but how do you have an "inadvertent" prostate cancer test? Last time I checked it is kinda hard to not notice a standard prostate exam. Just saying.

[Gabe Canales]

11:22 AM on 09/09/2011

My internist sent me to urologist because I had tested for low testosterone. I went to a urologist and my low T was confirmed through a blood test, but the lab at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston had tested for PSA, which was not ordered. I was notified weeks later and asked over the phone to retest. I had no idea about a PSA, what it was, about the test, what it meant, etc...So I went back weeks later, retested and numbers went up.

[Edward Wilkes]

09:11 PM on 09/11/2011

You still need an exam through your rectal, first by the doctor sticking his finger in, to feel your prostrate, then you would need the long needle put up there, to extract up to eleven specimens. This happened to me. I was then operated on in June 2007.

[Karl Wilder]

03:30 PM on 09/07/2011

All the blue stuff is symbolic and pretty silly. The best thing we can do is talk to our friends, candidly about what we can do to prevent this.

[Gabe Canales]

11:05 AM on 09/09/2011

sorry you feel it's 'silly' Karl, but it actually spurs discussion. having Houston City Hall lit BLUE for a week and the resulting media attention spurred discussion, and action. when I was diagnosed at age 35 I knew nothing about prostate cancer and there weren't any campaigns targeting my demo ...so it's important to me that I find ways to reach a broader segment of the population and encourage people to 'go Blue' which means to light blue, discuss prostate cancer and take action.
- Gabe

[ViewfinderMO]

12:04 PM on 09/09/2011

What if you had said: "All that pink stuff is symbolic and silly" . . . come on Karl . . . have you had your exam? When you survive surgery or radiation and chemo for prostate cancer you may not think all that blue is so symbolic and silly. It is a badge of courage and it shows how much you care about yourself and your loved ones. Women all over the world have been educated about the importance of mammograms - countless lives have been saved. I am so proud of my husband for undergoing surgery and all the side effects of treatment for prostate cancer. We placed a strand of blue lights around the door to our house and photography studio to promote prostate cancer awareness for the month of September. We want to support awareness and encourage all men to be tested - lives will be saved. Have you made a contribution?

[Karl Wilder]

12:33 PM on 09/09/2011

I stand by my comment. I do think from the yellow ribbons to whatever color you are wearing for whatever cause is symbolic and silly.

Men who want to be proactive need to have candid conversations with their friends so that at the very least they get the PSA test. Candid conversation does much more for awareness then yet another ribbon or light.

[texbruce]

10:45 AM on 09/06/2011

You've certainly made me more aware, Gabe. Now let's work on millions more. Thank you so much.

[Gabe Canales]

12:00 PM on 09/09/2011

thank you for your continuous support Bruce! Together we can and we will make a difference.