June 19, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or by email at iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com. 

County Board President Undergoes Prostate Surgery

Stroger urges men to schedule regular screenings for prostate cancer, calls on community leaders to step up public awareness efforts about preventive measures.

June 19, 2007, Chicago – Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger underwent surgery on Monday, June 18, to remove his prostate, according to Stroger press secretary Ibis Antongiorgi.

President Stroger learned of the stage one cancer after a routine screening. On Monday, Stroger’s spokespeople reported that he was on medical leave, without going into detail about the surgery, because his family had asked that his medical condition not be disclosed on the day of the surgery out of respect for their medical privacy.

Stroger is expected to make his first public statement about his condition and the need to be tested for prostate cancer later this week.

Stroger was diagnosed with stage one cancer of the prostate, which has a very high cure rate. The surgery was successful. President Stroger will be in bed for a couple of days, and his full recovery is expected to take up to three weeks.

“His family wanted to go through this experience in private,” said Antongiorgi. “We respected their right to medical privacy. We also ask for your prayers and well wishes for his speedy recovery.”

Stroger’s doctors have described his condition as non-life threatening.

According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. African American men have had higher incidence and at least double the mortality rates compared to men of other racial and ethnic groups, according to the NCI.

More information about prostate cancer is available on the National Cancer Institute’s prostate cancer website at www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/prostate.

For more information, contact Ibis Antongiorgi, Press Secretary to Cook County Board President Todd H. Stroger, at 312-603-0396 or iantongiorgi@cookcountygov.com. 

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