Prostate Cancer Awareness Month 2027

About Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

The National Cancer Institute calls prostate cancer the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States. A 2024 presidential proclamation put the toll at nearly 300,000 diagnoses and more than 35,000 deaths a year, and noted that the disease affects Black and Hispanic men disproportionately. Many prostate cancers grow slowly, which is why the month stresses informed decisions rather than a single rule for everyone.

The federal observance is set by presidential proclamation rather than by a permanent law. The Federal Register records a National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month proclamation by President George W. Bush in 2001, which named November that year. From 2003 onward the proclamations have named September, and presidents of both parties have issued them in many years since, most recently in the Federal Register in 2024. No single founding organization is documented for the month; cancer charities, hospitals and patient groups all use September for education and fundraising.

Screening is the month's central topic, and the advice is nuanced. The US Preventive Services Task Force says that for men 55 to 69, PSA-based screening should be an individual decision made after discussing the possible benefits and harms with a clinician. Screening can reduce the chance of dying from prostate cancer for some men, but it can also lead to false alarms, biopsies and treatment of cancers that would never have caused harm. Men with a family history or other risk factors may want to start that conversation earlier.

Sources: Federal Register: Proclamation 10798, National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, 2024, Federal Register: Proclamation 7492, National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, 2001, Federal Register: National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, 2003, US Preventive Services Task Force: Prostate Cancer Screening, National Cancer Institute: Prostate Cancer. How we check dates.

How to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

• Ask your doctor whether PSA screening makes sense for you, and what the possible benefits and downsides are at your age.
• Find out whether your father, brothers or other close relatives have had prostate cancer, and share that history with your doctor.
• Encourage a man in your life to schedule an overdue checkup, and offer to go with him.
• Support a prostate cancer patient or survivor you know with meals, rides to treatment or simply company.
• Join a local walk, run or fundraiser for prostate cancer research or patient support.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month dates