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FREE PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING EVENT

03/07/2022

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT

Major Gary McClain

Office:  870.541.5351 / Cell: 870.329.5638

Email:  gary.mcclain@jeffcoso.org

FREE PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING EVENT:  Jefferson County, Arkansas - March 7, 2022 - Join us for FREE prostate cancer screening at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Center (211 West Third Ave, Pine Bluff, AR) on March 15, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  This event comes as a partnership with the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity - Pine Bluff Alumni Chapter, and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men after skin cancer.  Every year more than 230,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer with approximately 30,000 dying from the disease annually.

Thanks to better screening methods and greater awareness prostate cancer is being detected much earlier leading to more options from treatment and better survival rates.  Most often prostate cancer is detected by an abnormal serum PSA screening.  The goal is to detect as early as possible, ideally at a manageable and even curable stage.

Risk factors are modifiable, such as smoking, diet, and exercise.  However, age, race, and family history are beyond an individual's control.  Some facts about the latter risk factors:

  • Age- the incidence of prostate cancer increases for men age 65 and older.  Prostate cancer is rare in men under 40, but can affect 1 in 6 men between ages 60 and 79.
  • Race- men of African-American heritage are at a higher risk for prostate cancer than Caucasian, Hispanic, or Asian men.  African-American men are also more frequently diagnosed with advanced stage disease and have lower survival rates.
  • Family History- the risk of prostate cancer increases sharply when a 1st degree relative (father, brother, or uncle) has been diagnosed, especially at a young age.  The risk increases further with more relatives diagnosed.
  • Lifestyle- some research has shown a link between a high-fat diet and prostate cancer.

In addition to free prostate cancer screening, there will also be cholesterol, BMI, blood pressure, glucose, oxygen/pulse, and health education.