Five states fail prostate cancer report card

Five states failed the first-ever prostate cancer state-by-state report card issued by the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, and Wisconsin did not make the grade while California, Connecticut, Kansas, and New York all earned As.

“Many states are not doing even the simplest things when it comes to fighting prostate cancer,” said Richard Atkins, MD, of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. “Early detection saves lives, and far too many states don’t encourage men to know the risks and to get tested.”

The report cards are a result of a study in which each state is graded based on current prostate cancer screening rates, mortality rates, and if each state currently has laws in place guaranteeing insurance coverage for testing.