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The Urology Heath Foundation in Birmingham will hold a free prostate cancer screening for men ages 40 and older from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday March 19 at the Pike County Health Department at 900 South Franklin Drive in Troy. No appointments are needed. Face masks will be required.

Dr. Thomas Moody, president of the Urology Health Foundation, said age and race are the strongest risk factors for prostate cancer. African-American men are at special risk for the disease, with the highest risk of prostate cancer of any ethnic group in the world. A man’s risk of prostate cancer also increases if he has a close relative with the disease.

“It is now more important than ever for those at highest risk of developing prostate cancer to be screened if they have delayed being screened due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Moody said. “There are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is still in the early stages. If, however, a man with prostate cancer waits to act until he has symptoms, the cancer may already have grown outside the prostate and progressed to the point where it is rarely curable.”

Moody emphasized that regular screening offers the best way to maximize a man’s chances of discovering the cancer while it is still in its early, and most curable, stages.

The PSA blood test measures the level of protein called prostate-specific antigen in the blood, he said. Normally PSA is found in the blood at very low levels. Elevated PSA readings can be a sign of prostate cancer.

Early detection and treatment are key factors in addressing prostate cancer. For that reason, men ages 40 and over are encouraged to take advantage of the free prostate cancer screening at the Pike County Health Department on Saturday, March 19.

For more information about this free screening, please contact the Pike County Health Department at 334-566-2860.