ATLANTA, GA and SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Sep 19, 2012) - A urologist-turned patient, a recently diagnosed 37-year-old, esteemed doctors, award-winning journalists and a compassionate wife are among those named to the first-ever list of SharecareNow's Top 10 Online Influencers in Prostate Cancer -- passionate people leading conversations that inform, inspire, and move forward prostate cancer awareness, diagnosis and treatment.
"As we rally around Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we are proud to lift up these outstanding individuals. They are invaluable resources to anyone affected by prostate cancer including loved ones -- from early diagnosis to cutting edge treatments, advice, care and even, on occasion, humor," said Keith Steward, M.D., senior vice president of medical affairs at Sharecare. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, a man is 35% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than a woman is to be diagnosed with breast cancer. The American Cancer Society reports 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1 in 36 will die from it.
To be included in the SharecareNow 10 - Prostate Cancer list, influencers must have demonstrated a consistent impact on prostate cancer-specific conversations online over the past year. All top influencers have an active online presence across several interactive channels -- including Twitter, Facebook, video and blogs -- and address the full-range of prostate cancer topics, each in a unique voice. Influence is measured and quantified through a proprietary algorithm based on more than 70 individual metrics, including prostate cancer relevance, syndication, presence and reach.
The following top influencers make up the SharecareNow 10 - Prostate Cancer list:
1. John McHugh, M.D. - Prostate Diaries
- A self-proclaimed "urologist with his own disease" sharing medical insight, personal stories, and humor.
2. Gabe Canales - Huffington Post
- Diagnosed at age 35, a passionate advocate of raising awareness among younger men.
3. Joel Nowak - AdvancedProstateCancer.net
- A survivor of thyroid cancer and recurrent prostate and renal cancers, director of advocacy for the Malecare Advanced Prostate Cancer Program.
4. Kevin Pho, M.D. - KevinMD.com
- "Social media's leading physician voice" and "provocative" commentator on breaking medical news, including prostate cancer.
5. Dan Zenka - MyNewYorkMinute.org
- Diagnosed at age 51 (2010) now facing stage 4 metastatic cancer, as he says, "one guy's perspective on navigating it all" while encouraging men to talk more about it.
6. Tara Parker-Pope - Well Blog - The New York Times
- New York Times veteran health columnist and author, overseeing all things personal health in the Well Blog.
7. Leah - Living with Prostate Cancer: A Wife's Passion
- Forty-something wife of a 59-year-old prostate cancer survivor who advocates for "humane and effective treatment," "passionately and compassionately," and better communication between doctors and patients.
8. Matthew Schmitz, M.D. - About.com - Prostate Cancer
- Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, clinical fellow of Harvard Medical School, passionate about education, patients and pushing prostate cancer treatment forward.
9. Deborah Kotz - Boston.com
- Boston Globe health reporter covering the beat for two decades, popular Daily Dose blogger.
10. David B. Samadi, M.D. - Fox News
- Foxnews.com blogger, Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
Sharecare will host a special Prostate Cancer Facebook chat tomorrow:
Prostate Cancer: What You Need to Know Now!
Thursday, Sept. 20, 8:00-9:00 p.m., EDT
Bring questions: @SharecareNow
With Dr. David Samadi
Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY, NY
A downloadable version of the SharecareNow 10 - Prostate Cancer list can be found here: http://www.sharecare.com/static/sharecarenow-prostate-cancer-top-ten-infographic. Additional information, including full bios and the methodology behind the influencer list, is available at http://now.sharecare.com.
About SharecareNow, powered by WCG
SharecareNow, powered by WCG, was developed in partnership with Sharecare, an interactive social Q&A platform, and WCG, a market-leading digital communications agency. Sharecare Now, powered by WCG, is an online platform developed to access real-time analytics on various health topics, conversations and influencers, and to use these insights to meaningfully impact the conversation through strategic engagement. The platform allows health and wellness professionals, organizations and brands to leverage the most accurate data, solutions and best practices to participate in the social service of expert health and wellness content and communities.
About Sharecare
Launched in 2010 and based in Atlanta, GA, Sharecare is an interactive, social Q & A platform that allows people to ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, in partnership with Harpo Studios, Sony Pictures Television, and Discovery Communications, the company's innovative approach provides the consumer access to a wide array of health and wellness experts ranging from hospitals to doctors, specialists to non-profits, to healthcare companies and active health consumers, creating a thriving community where healthcare knowledge is built, shared and put into practice.
About WCG
Founded and led by chairman and CEO Jim Weiss, WCG is focused on integrated business solutions in the areas of innovation, change and growth for the world's leading companies and brands. WCG serves clients through a network of offices in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin, Los Angeles and London. For more than a decade, WCG's seasoned professionals have specialized in providing analytics, content, engagement and strategy to a diverse set of clients across the consumer, technology, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. For more information, please visit http://wcgworld.com.