Free Prostate Cancer Screenings at Harris Hospital

NEWPORT, Ark. (August 21, 2009) - Harris Hospital will provide its annual prostate cancer screening on Tuesday, September 1, 2009, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  To schedule an appointment, please call 870-512-3042.  Drs. Rob Emery, Hunter Brown and John Allgood will be the physicians for the exam screenings.  For additional information, please contact Sherry Bradley at 870-512-3081.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men after lung cancer and it is estimated that more than 234,460 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.   Yet, this disease is nearly 100 percent survivable if caught in its earliest stages.

Prostate cancer usually has no signs or symptoms, especially in its earliest stages.  Once the cancer has grown, however, it may cause discomfort, a variety of other symptoms and could lead to death.  Men who undergo screenings should begin at age 50 years.  However, men in high risk groups, such as those with a strong familial predisposition (e.g. two or more affected first degree relatives) or African Americans should begin at age 40.

Below are a few of the many reasons why it is critical to get screened for prostate cancer:

• One in six American men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime;
• Over 30,000 men will needlessly die of prostate cancer this year alone;
• A man is 33 percent more likely to get prostate cancer than a woman is to get breast cancer even though prostate cancer research receives half the funding breast cancer receives;
• If caught early, survival rates are nearly 100 percent;
• The best protection against advanced prostate cancer is early detection.

The Prostate Cancer Education Council encourages not only yearly screenings, but also overall health awareness to lessen the risk of prostate cancer.  Screenings during Prostate Cancer Awareness Week take about 10 minutes and include a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) done by a trained professional.

There is a definite need to make men and their families more aware of prostate cancer.  This is not a one person disease.  It affects husbands, wives, friends and whole families.