The Schneck Medical Center Foundation will again sponsor free prostate cancer screening tests on Thursday, September 13, 8 a.m. to noon, and September 25, 5 to 7 p.m. The screenings will be at Schneck’s Cancer Center on the medical center campus. You must have a scheduled appointment to participate in the free screening.
Prostate cancer strikes 1 in 6 American men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men. According to the National Cancer Institute, over 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer will be reported in the United States this year.
There is good news. If the cancer is found before it has spread outside the prostate, the 5-year relative survival rate is 100%. If the cancer has spread to tissues near the prostate, the survival rate is 94%. Thus, early detection is critical.
The American Urological Association recommends that a baseline screening be considered in all men at the age of 40. If significant risk factors such as a strong family history or African American race are present, then screening should be considered on a regular basis after that.
A man will be eligible for an early detection screening test, which includes prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a digital rectal examination (DRE), if he is between 40 and 74 years of age and has not had a PSA blood test or DRE within the past 12 months.
“We really want to encourage those who don’t have a physician to take advantage of this free screening,” says Sally Acton, RN, BSN, OCN, MSM, Director of Cancer and Pain Services at Schneck. “This is a very beneficial test that unfortunately folks without a healthcare provider often go without.”
These free screening tests are for men who do not regularly have prostate exams and are not intended to be a replacement or substitution for regular visits to a physician. The American Cancer Society advises to discuss the benefits as well as the harms of PSA screening with your doctor, then decide for yourself if you should be screened.
To schedule a prostate cancer screening, call Schneck’s Cancer Center at 522-0477. Please leave your name and phone number and your call will be returned promptly.
