In order to help combat the second deadliest cancer among men, area hospitals are hosting prostate cancer screenings and community awareness events throughout this month.
During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September, Iredell Health System, Davis Regional Medical Center and Lake Norman Regional Medical Center will have doctors from Piedmont HealthCare Urology, Lake Norman Urology and Carolina Urology Care conduct blood tests and physical exams to detect for signs of cancer.
According to an Iredell Memorial Hospital press release, "a simple blood test such as a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test can provide early detection of prostate cancer and increase the availability of treatment options and improve survival rates."
Piedmont HealthCare Urologist Dr. Michael Schlesinger said doctors recommend that men -- particularly African-Americans and those with a family history of cancer -- start the screening process by the time they reach age 40.
If the first test is negative and a man is not in one of these two categories, Schlesinger said the patient can wait to resume regular screenings until he is 50.
"When cancer is caught early, it is highly treatable," he said. "It's a very curable disease."
Younger men are typically given more aggressive treatments, Schlesinger said. Some are less invasive than others.
LNRMC Director of Community Outreach Mitzie McCurdy said around 100 men have taken advantage of LNRMC's two screening dates in the past.
McCurdy said the screenings have helped to detect elevated PSAs and were used to take additional steps to determine the next step.
Schlesinger Drs. Alex Horchak, Carolyn Coryell and Tink Johnson III will host a prostate awareness discussion covering risk factors, signs and symptoms and treatment options on Sept. 15 in the Cafeteria Conference Room at Iredell Memorial Hospital at 7 p.m. To register to attend the prostate awareness discussion, call (704) 878-7447 or visit iredellmemorial.org.
Horchak and Dr. Mark Makhuli will give a lecture on the disease at 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at at Davis Regional.
The following community screenings will be held throughout the month:
Iredell Health System
-- Today, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Barium Springs YMCA
-- Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Iredell Health System at Morrison Plantation
-- Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Statesville Fitness and Activity Center
-- Sept. 30, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Iredell County Council on Aging
For more information regarding any of the free prostate screenings conducted by Iredell Memorial, call (704) 878-4550.
Davis Regional Medical Center
-- Sept. 12, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the Outpatient clinic area by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call (704) 838-7123.
Lake Norman Regional Medical Center
-- Sept. 19, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the hospital. To schedule an appointment, call (704) 660-4859.
-- Sept. 26, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the hospital at the Davidson College Student Health Center. To schedule an appointment, call (704) 660-4859. To see more of the Statesville Record & Landmark or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.statesville.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Statesville Record & Landmark, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Statesville Record & Landmark, N.C.