PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — Tuesday night at sunset you’ll see a special monument in Pier Park light up blue.
Panama City Beach joins dozens of cities across the country, calling attention to a common but deadly form of cancer.
The SkyWheel is honoring the Prostate Cancer Foundation by lighting up blue to celebrate Prostate Cancer Awareness month.
Congressman Neal Dunn said this is the perfect way to draw attention to this cause.
“Were going raise awareness by lighting iconic structures and buildings all across the country,” said Dunn.
The ‘Light It Blue’ campaign serves as a reminder that nearly 32,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year alone.
“That’s the number one cancer we treat in the entire Veterans Health Administration, is prostate cancer, and it’s the number one cancer among men in general,” said Dunn.
By encouraging men to take action early on, that number can be significantly reduced and is 99% treatable in its early stages.
“You have to drill in on em, get checked, get checked, it’s important because this is a very treatable cancer. If it’s found early,” said Dunn.
In the US alone, one in nine Caucasian men will be diagnosed in their lifetime and one in six African-American men will develop the disease.
“So any first degree family members, brother, father, uncle, grandfather, you need to get checked especially. If you’re african american, you almost double your odds of getting prostate cancer,” said Dunn.
For more information on where to get checked go to your family doctor first to have a PSA done with your annual blood work.
