Prostate screenings urged for men

By Staff
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with the exception of skin cancer, and is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. This year 230,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 30,000 will die from the disease. African American men are much more likely than white men to get prostate cancer and are more than twice as likely to die of the disease.
The Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center and the Alabama Department of Public Health have developed public service announcements urging men to be screened for prostate cancer. The announcements are currently being aired on radio and television stations in urban areas of the state. Prostate cancer has no noticeable symptoms while in the early stages, so screening is critical. Screening involves a physical examination and a simple blood test called a PSA that measures the level of protein called prostate-specific antigen in the blood. Elevated readings can be a sign of prostate cancer. These tests take approximately 10 minutes to perform.
Cancer information is available at www.alabamacancercontrol.org.