For the first-time ever, Michigan residents can show their support in the fight against cancer by contributing to two cancer funds when filing their state income taxes through the Breast and Prostate Cancer Income Tax Check-Offs.

Amanda's Fund for Breast Cancer Prevention and Treatment and the Prostate Cancer Research Fund are two new funds added to the Voluntary Contributions Schedule (Form 4642) associated with the Michigan Income Tax Form. Dollars collected from Amanda's Fund go directly to the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP), which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening services to low-income women in our state. Donations designated for the Prostate Cancer Research Fund will be used to support prostate cancer research here in Michigan.

"By contributing $5, $10, or more to these funds, Michigan residents can make a real impact on the war on cancer," said Janet Olszewski, Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Director. "One hundred percent of money collected stays here in Michigan. Your donation can make a difference and can help save a life of a loved one now and for generations to come."

MDCH will administer the monies collected from these funds.

Current funding levels for the Michigan BCCCP provides services for approximately 24,000 women per year - only 15 percent of women eligible to be screened in the program based on age, income, and insurance status. Your donation to Amanda's Fund will enable more women to receive these lifesaving services through the BCCCP.

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Michigan, and it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among Michigan women. In 2005, 7,163 women in Michigan were newly diagnosed with breast cancer, and 1,487 Michigan women died of the disease during 2006. Early detection is the key to breast cancer survival; with regular screening, breast cancer is more likely to be detected at an earlier stage when it is most treatable.

The monies designated for the Prostate Cancer Research Fund will be awarded as grants to Michigan medical schools, Michigan hospitals that specialize in the treatment of cancer, and/or hospitals located in an urban area of Michigan that provide services to African-American men.

Prostate cancer has been the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Michigan since the late 1980s. In 2005, 7,568 Michigan men were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer with 899 men dying of the disease in 2006. Currently, there are more than 71,000 prostate cancer survivors in our state. Your donation to prostate cancer research can help improve the lives of Michigan men.

To learn more about the Breast and Prostate Cancer Income Tax Check-Offs, to find out how you can donate or to download a sixty-second radio PSA on the Breast and Prostate Cancer Income Tax Check-Offs, please visit www.michigancancer.org.