Free prostate screenings September 8, 2007

Community Hospital Anderson will offer free prostate screenings on Saturday, Sept. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Madison County Cancer Care Center, 1340 N. Madison Avenue, Anderson. The screenings will include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing and digital rectal exams (DRE) of the prostate gland, performed by Salah Elsaharty, M.D., urologist.

A DRE is a quick exam to check the prostate. A PSA blood test measures the amount of prostate specific antigen being produced by cells. An abnormally high level of PSA can suggest cancer.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include those with a family history (having a father, brother or son who has had prostate cancer), being older and being African American. Therefore, this screening is recommended for any man who hasn’t been screened within the past year, is age 50 or over (or age 40 if there is a family history of prostate cancer), or is African American.

More than 300,000 American men lose their lives to prostate cancer each year. There are approximately 190,000 new cases each year, with prostate cancer being the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men. One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Men have a much higher chance of surviving prostate cancer if it discovered early.

Please call 800-777-7775 to schedule an appointment. This opportunity is limited to the first 50 individuals.

Official Website: http://www.communityanderson.com/services/cancer_care.asp