archives|Cy Fair Sun News

Print | E-mail | Bookmark and Share | Comment (No comments posted.) | Text Size
 

Hospital to offer free prostate cancer screenings


By VALERIE JONES
Updated: 08.19.08
Prostate cancer is said to be the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting one in six men. The prostate, located only in men, is a walnut-sized gland just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is important to bladder control and normal sexual functioning.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, more than 186,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008. Risk factors include age, family history and race.

“For unknown reasons, prostate cancer is more common among African-American men than among men of other races,” said Don Berardinucci, urologist on the medical staff at Houston Northwest Medical Center. “In fact, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, African-American men are 61 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer compared with Caucasian men and are nearly 2.5 times as likely to die from the disease.”

The risk for developing prostate cancer increases for African-American men who have a close relative (father or brother) with the disease and more than 65 percent of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in men over the age of 65, according to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.


Doctors screen for prostate cancer using the PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test and the DRE (Digital Rectal Exam). The American Cancer Society said both tests should be given to men with no serious medical problems yearly, beginning at age 50. Men at high risk should begin testing at age 45.

There is no cure for prostate cancer, but there are several treatment options. Changes in diet to include more tomato sauce and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) can also decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Houston Northwest Medical Center will offer free preventive prostate cancer screenings Saturday, September 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Medical Mall II. Both PSA and DRE screenings will be offered by a trained professional. Registration is required and those interested can call 281-580-0000.

WHO: Houston Northwest Medical Center

WHAT: free preventive prostate cancer screenings

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

WHERE: Medical Mall II

WHY: Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men.

To register, call 281-580-0000.



Submit a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.
*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)
  Forgot Your Password?
 
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one.

Comments to stories and articles on the Web site are not edited or pre-approved before appearing online. Readers posting comments are solely responsible for those comments. Comments must be germane to the story to which they apply.

Online comments that are libelous, profane or personally attack another site participant can be reported as abuse using the link provided on each comment. Comments reported as abusive will be reviewed and may be removed from view, as will off-topic comments.

BE CIVIL.

Individuals continually posting abusive comments to the site may have their registrations revoked.

Reader Comments

Return to: News « | Home « | Top of Page ^
Friday
July 10, 2009
Click for Houston, Texas Forecast
topjobs

today'stopads