U.S. Congressional Leaders Senator Barbara Boxer and Rep. Elijah Cummings are champions of The Manogram® Project.
AdMeTech’s programs in prostate cancer education are integrated with education and awareness in order to expedite the broad based advancement of prevention, early detection and treatment. Our educational programs have brought together international, multidisciplinary medical experts and were instrumental in developing and implementing a comprehensive research strategy and stimulating novel ideas for improved patient care.
Our awareness and advocacy campaign resulted in the historic legislation, recognizing prostate cancer crisis as a public health priority and major area of health care disparities and calling for increased national investment in the advancement of diagnostic tools for early detection and treatment.
AdMeTech’s programs have been receiving multiple commendations by the Massachusetts Governor, Massachusetts State House and Boston City Council and covered by major media organizations, including but not limited to, Wall Street Journal, NBC, NECN, Boston Globe, Fox Business News, and Reuters. These programs are supported by leaders of medicine, industry, advocacy, philanthropy, government agencies and U.S. Congress.
Landmark Accomplishments
June 1999: AdMeTech held the First Public Conference on Image-Guided Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Treatment of Prostate Cancer. This first event of its kind was critical for the recognition of the importance of imaging and other diagnostic tools in the advancement of patient care by the leading multi-disciplinary experts, and integrated their efforts into the creation of AdMeTech’s Brain Trust in Prostate Imaging.
February 2001: The Second Public Conference on Image-Guided Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer resulted in the establishment of molecular imaging of prostate cancer as a new field of research, which has been funded by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technologies Research Center of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Department of Defense since 2003.
October 2005: The Third Public Conference on Image-Guided Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer unveiled an awareness and advocacy campaign “Where is our Manogram®” and resulted in broad support in US Congress.
June 2006: US House of Representatives Resolution 353 (HR 353) was introduced and called for increased national investment in prostate cancer imaging and minimally invasive treatment. Read More
September 2007: The Fourth Public Conference on Image-Guided Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer had a closing ceremony in US Congress, when the $650 million Prostate Cancer Research and Imaging (PRIME) Act was introduced. Read More
June 2008: HR 353 passed unanimously in the US House of Representatives.
March – April 2009: Groundbreaking, three-part coverage of AdMeTech’s research program in prostate MRI and its potential impact on screening, diagnosis and treatment by the Wall Street Journal led to the re-introduction of the PRIME Act by US Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).
September 2009: AdMeTech, jointly with the key Massachusetts legislators, established the Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at the State House. Read More
March 2010: US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a Congressional Hearing on the state of prostate cancer diagnostics, which was requested and driven by AdMeTech in coordination with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD). Dr. Shtern served as one of the expert witnesses. (Read More). As the result of this hearing, Rep. Cummings re-introduced the $650 million PRIME Act. Read More
June 2010: AdMeTech assembled the key leaders of advocacy, medicine, legislation and industry for the Second Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at the Massachusetts State House. As a result of this event, AdMeTech received commendations from the Governor, the General Court and the Boston City Council.
September 2010: Dr. Faina Shtern of AdMeTech was invited to address the Health Brain Trust of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) by its Chair, Congresswoman Donna Christensen (D – Virgin Islands). It was the first time prostate cancer was included on the agenda of the CBC annual conference. Read More
February 2011: US President’s Budget for NIH highlighted molecular imaging of prostate cancer as one of the top national research priorities for fiscal year 2012.
September 2011: US President’s Proclamation of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month mentioned the advancement of diagnostic tools, including imaging technologies, as one of the top research priorities for the first time. (Read More). AdMeTech held the Third Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at the Massachusetts State House, where the Senate President and Speaker of the House set a historic precedent by issuing a General Court Resolution recognizing prostate cancer as a public health priority, a major health care disparity and a central issue in men’s health. Read More
May 2012: US House of Representatives directed the Department of Defense to prioritize research funding for the advancement of prostate diagnostics in general and imaging specifically (in the National Defense Authorization Act and Defense Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 2013).
June 27, 2012: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) introduced the bipartisan Prostate Cancer Detection Research and Education Act, in order to authorize $180M in federal funding for research and education to improve early detection of prostate cancer.
June – July 2012: Senator John Kerry (D-MA) led introduction and passage of the bipartisan AdMeTech-advocated Prostate Cancer Resolution (SR 493), which acknowledged prostate cancer in African American men as a health care crisis and urged Federal agencies to support research for the advancement of early detection, including biomarkers and imaging technologies. Read More
June 28, 2012: AdMeTech held the Fourth Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at the Massachusetts State House, and led a petition to US Congress to support the Boxer/Cummings and Kerry legislations. The event participants and the leading state legislators signed this petition.
June 2013: To follow up on its request of May 2012 (see May 2012 above), the US House of Representatives requested a “Report on Prostate Cancer Imaging Research” in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014. Read More
July 2013: Massachusetts State House unanimously supported allocation of $1.5 million for a clinical trial of high quality prostate MRI and its PI-RADS standardization. Read More
September 2013: AdMeTech held its 5th Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Day at the Massachusetts State House. Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President, Speaker of the House and leaders of the Boston City Council issued formal commendations to AdMeTech for its work in prostate cancer education, awareness and research.
April 2014: AdMeTech hosted an Annual VIP Breakfast which called for a Massachusetts model of national leadership in prostate cancer education and awareness and resulted in the front page coverage int he Boston Globe and other media.