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Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo Hits the Airwaves in Fight Against Prostate Cancer

DENVER, Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Superstar quarterback Tony Romo found himself on the sidelines for one of the most important fights in his life last fall -- his father's battle against prostate cancer. Ramiro Romo had shown no signs or symptoms of the disease when a screening exam revealed he had prostate cancer. The experience shocked and scared his entire family.

"My dad and I are very close. I can't picture my life without him," Romo says. "My whole family was scared."

Nearly 220,000 men will go through a similar experience this year when they are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The disease remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among men, with nearly 27,000 expected to die from it this year. When detected early, the five-year survival rate is nearly 100 percent.

Thankfully, the elder Romo's cancer was caught early. Now, Tony and his dad have teamed up with the Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) to urge men to get a prostate cancer screening.

"Prostate cancer was something we didn't have a lot of knowledge about," says Romo. "We were lucky that he found it early so I thought it was very important for others to hopefully have some of the same advantages."

Ramiro Romo agrees. "It's important for men get screened early on so they have a better chance of fighting the disease."

The Romos have taped a public service announcement that will begin airing this month and is the centerpiece of the national "Tackle Prostate Cancer" program. The effort, led by "coach" Robin Cole, former Pittsburgh Steelers player and a prostate cancer survivor, includes support from 13 teams around the country. Together, the group hopes to encourage more than 100,000 men to be screened for prostate cancer over the course of the season.

"This is a terrible disease, made all the more terrible when you realize that it's easy to screen for and, if caught early, very treatable. But we're still losing thousands of men each year. We want that to stop," said Cole.

Prostate cancer screenings include a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) done by a health care professional.

The campaign kicks off this Sunday, September 7, with the beginning of the football season.

"A doctor's appointment is easy," said Cole. "It doesn't take much time out of your day -- and could save your life."

"We're happy to be partnering with the Romos and a number of football teams on this very important effort," said E. David Crawford, M.D., Head of the Urologic Oncology Department at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and Founder/Chairman of PCEC. "Many football fans are men over 35, and that's exactly who needs to get checked for prostate cancer each year. This is a disease we can and should tackle."

Men who want to respond to the challenge should visit www.tackleprostatecancer.com to register and receive exclusive access to program information.

Abbott, the global healthcare company based out of north suburbanChicago, provided financial support to PCEC for this program.

About Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. More than 220,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and it is expected that 27,000 men will die from the disease. With more annual cases of prostate cancer than that of breast cancer among women, screening is imperative to ensure the health of the men of our nation.

Yet prostate cancer is highly treatable when detected early.

It is important for men to know the value of screening. Men over age 35 should talk to their doctor about the appropriate screening schedule based on individual factors.

About the Prostate Cancer Education Council

A national organization committed to men's health, the Prostate Cancer Education Council (PCEC) is dedicated to saving lives through awareness and the education of men, the women in their lives, as well as the medical community about prostate cancer prevalence, the importance of early detection, and available treatment options, as well as other men's health issues. The Council -- comprised of a consortium of leading physicians, health educators, scientists and prostate cancer advocates -- aims to conduct nation wide screenings for men and perform research that will aid in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer. More information is available at www.pcaw.com.

AboutAbbott

Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company devoted to the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics. The company employs more than 68,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

Abbott's news releases and other information are available on the company's Web site at www.abbott.com.

Contact:

Jennifer Weissblum

Jones Public Affairs

(202) 742-5257

jennifer@jonespa.com

Wendy Poage,

President, Prostate Cancer Education Council

(303) 316-4685

wendy.poage@pcaw.com

SOURCE Prostate Cancer Education Council