VALDOSTA —
Did You Know That
• The chances of getting prostate cancer are one in three if you have just one close relative (father, brother) with the disease. The risk is 83 percent with two close relatives. With three, it’s almost a certainty at 97 percent.
• African-American men are at special risk for the disease, with the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world at one in four men. African-Americans are 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease.
• Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male cancer-related death in the United States.
• Obesity is a significant predictor of prostate cancer severity. Men with a body mass index over 32.5 have about one-third greater risk of dying from prostate cancer. Research shows that high cholesterol levels are strongly associated with advanced prostate cancer.
Why You Should Participate
• In the next 24 hours, cancer of the prostate gland will claim the lives of 83 American men, one every 18 minutes.
• One in six men will get prostate cancer, according to South Georgia Medical Center. If caught early, however, nearly 100 percent of them will survive. Early prostate cancer has no symptoms, making screening so important.
• Screening for prostate cancer involves a simple blood test and a physical exam. The process takes about 10 minutes.
• Every man age 50 or over should resolve to be screened annually. African-American men or those with a family history of the disease should start annual screening at 40.
What: Free prostate screening
• Where: Pearlman Comprehensive Cancer Center
• When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16
• More: Exams will be performed by South Georgia Medical Center-affiliated urologists. All men must meet American Cancer Society screening criteria. To register — advance registration is required — call (229) 333-1074; or visit www.sgmc.org.
— Compiled by Jessica Pope
