How Did the Challenge Begin?
Over the past several years, Chesapeake Urology Associates has grown to become the largest private urology group in Maryland, with more than 300 employees and 42 urologists serving people in more than 20 locations. One of the core values we established early on is a commitment to support and give back to the community. Fighting against prostate cancer is just one of many ways that we seek to uphold that value.

Last year, Chesapeake urologist Dr. Sean Van Zijl, suggested that we create an event solely focused on prostate cancer. Our goal was to increase awareness, provide screening opportunities for men unable to get screenings, and raise money for prostate cancer research. The 5K Walk and Run that we created last year was the most successful first-time event of its kind in Maryland, with more than 1,100 participants and over $135,000 raised.

We return this year with a new name and even greater enthusiasm. And this year, we've added a benefit concert and a plan to provide free prostate cancer screenings in connection with a number of large African-American churches in the Baltimore area. Our goal is to screen more than 1,000 men who might ordinarily not have a prostate exam and PSA test. We urge you to join us and make a difference in the fight against prostate cancer.

Our Success is Spreading!
Thanks to last year's fabulous results, in 2008 our urology colleagues are hosting similar events in:

- Nashville, TN
- Richmond, VA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Indianapolis, IN

Where Does the Money Go?
The AUA Foundation/CUA Research Scholar Program
2008/09 Scholar: Sinichi Skamoto, M.D., PhD
Research: The Role of Talin in Prostate Cancer

About the AUA/CUA Research Scholar Program
The proceeds from the GPCC events go to support the Research Scholars Program of the American Urological Association/AUA Foundation. This program funds scholars conducting critical research in the fight against prostate cancer. Since 1975, the Research Scholars Program has funded more than 450 scholars. The cutting-edge research developed in this program translates into state-of-the-art medical practice. Research scholars go on to make innovative contributions to the maintenance of urologic health, advancement of treatment and improvement in the lives of those afflicted with urologic diseases.

As a result of funds raised by last year's Prostate Race/Walk, Chesapeake Urology Associates was able to fund a Research Scholar in conjunction with the AUA Foundation. The recipient is Sinichi Skamoto, M.D., PhD., a post-doctorate fellow in the lab of Dr..Natasha Kyprianou at the University of Kentucky.

About This Year's AUA/CUA Research Scholar
Dr. Skamoto earned both his MD and PhD from Chiba University in Japan. He has earned a Young Investigator Award from the Japan Urolithiasis Society and a Best Research Award from the Society of Molecular Nephrology of Japan.

Dr. Sakamoto's research proposal is titled, "The Role of Talin in Prostate Cancer." Talin is an actin-binding protein that functions as scaffolding , interacting with integrins and connecting them to the cytoskeleton. Dr. Sakamoto's research will investigate the contribution of talin as a mediator of filament membrane interactions and how it contributes to the progression of prostate cancer. Several past scholars have made extraordinary contributions to the field of urology. Their work has significantly advanced the field and allowed for better surgical and treatment technology and patient care. With more support, the AUA Foundation will continue funding innovative research scholars.

Past AUA Foundation Research Scholars Who Contributed Significantly to Prostate Research
The following scholars have made critical contributions to the field of prostate research:

James Mohler, MD, a 1985 scholar, is currently the chair of the Department of Urologic Oncology, leader of the Prostate Program and professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He is also a professor for the Department of Urology at the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Dr. Mohler has done seminal work on the role of the androgen receptor in the regulation of prostate cancer. This work has caused researchers to re-evaluate previous theories on advanced prostate cancer. Additionally, Dr. Mohler is the recipient of a major ($14 M) DOD Consortium award titled, "Racial Differences in Prostate Cancer: Influence of Health Care and Cost and Tumor Biology." This effort addresses a critical issue in prostate cancer and is likely to be the definitive study on prostate cancer health disparity.

William Steers, MD, a 1988 scholar, is currently the Hovey Dabney Professor of Urology in the Department of Urology at the University of Virginia Health System and editor of The Journal of Urology . He was the 1994 recipient of the AUA Gold Cystoscope and the Dornier Innovative Research Award. With more than 200 publications and two patents, Dr. Steers's diverse clinical interests span a variety of urologic diseases and conditions, including urinary incontinence, benign prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, neurogenic bladder and robotic surgery. Dr. Steers is the director of the George M. O'Brien Urology Research Center at the University of Virginia School of Medicine; he is one of only two urologists in the United States to head one of these specialized, NIDDK-funded centers. He is a past recipient of the AUA Foundation Distinguished Former Scholar Award.

Mark Litwin, MD, a 1993 scholar, is currently a professor in the UCLA Schools of Medicine (Urology) and Public Health (Health Services). He holds the only such joint faculty appointment in the US. He received the prestigious Gold Cystoscope Award from the AUA in 2001 in recognition of his distinguished and outstanding contributions to the profession of urology. Dr. Litwin published the first validated instrument to assess disease-targeted health-related quality of life in men treated for prostate cancer: the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index. The Index is now in use in more than 200 studies throughout North America and has been translated into three languages. Dr. Litwin is also the principal investigator of a multi-million dollar project grant funded by NIDDK to develop a comprehensive resource of the illness burden and resource use associated with urologic diseases. The resulting compendium, "Urologic Diseases in America," was first released in 2004 and has become the authoritative reference on urologic diseases.

Wade Bushman, MD, PhD, a 1994 scholar, is currently the Robert F. and Dolores K. Schnoes Chair in Urologic Research and vice chair for research at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Bushman is the director and principal investigator at the George M. O'Brien Urology Research Center at the University of Wisconsin. He is one of only two urologists in the United States to head one of these specialized, NIDDK-funded centers. He is a past recipient of the AUA Foundation Distinguished Former Scholar Award and is currently a member of the AUA Foundation Research Council.

Joel Nelson, MD, a 1994 scholar, is currently the Frederic N. Schwentker Professor and chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and co-director of the Prostate and Urologic Cancer Center at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Dr. Nelson is credited with first discovering the role of endothelin in prostate cancer progression.

Natasha Kyprianou, PhD, a 1994 scholar, is currently the James F. Hardymon Chair of Urology Research at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She completed fellowships in urologic oncology at Johns Hopkins University and in molecular biology at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, UK. Her research interests focus on the deregulation of apoptosis and growth factor signaling pathways in benign and malignant prostate, molecular therapeutics (apoptosis-targeting) for hormone refractory prostate tumors, and development of novel biomarkers of prostate and bladder cancer progression. Dr. Kyprianou serves as a member of two grant review panels at the National Institutes of Health (NIDDK, NCI) and the American Urological Association (AUA) Foundation. She is also a member of the Integration Panel (Advisory Board) for the Congressionally Directed Prostate Cancer Research Programs in the Department of Defense. She is a past-president of the Society for Basic Urologic Research and currently an associate editor for Cancer Research, British Journal of Pharmacology, The Prostate and AUA News. Dr. Kyprianou received the AUA Foundation's 2008 Distinguished Mentor Award.

Stephen J. Freedland, MD, a 2004 scholar, is a surgeon-scientist at Duke Medical Center, and Director of Translational and Outcomes Research for urology. Dr. Freedland's current research focuses on the association between obesity and aggressive prostate cancer, and on understanding the role that a diet low in carbohydrates may have in slowing the growth of prostate tumors. Dr. Freedland received a $700,000 career development type award, the Physician Research Training Grant, from the DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program and is the co-PI of a $1.5 million Prostate Cancer Foundation award for cancer survivorship including nutritional clinical trials. Dr. Freedland has also received a five-year AUA Foundation/Astellas Rising Star in Urology Award in 2005.