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The Urology Health Foundation will hold a free prostate cancer screening for men 40 years and older from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Pike County Health Department.

The prostate cancer screening is free. No appointments are needed. Face masks will be required.

Dr. Thomas Moody, president of the Urology Health Foundation, said prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in American men.

“Age and race are the strongest risk factors for prostate cancer,” Moody said. “African-American men are at special risk for the disease with the highest death rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States.”

Moody said 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,

“There are no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer while it is still in the early stages,” Moody said. “However, if a man with prostate cancer waits to act until he has symptoms, the cancer may already have grown outside the prostate and progressed to a point where it is rarely curable.”

Early detection and treatment are the key factor s in addressing prostate cancer.

Dr. Moody stresses 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. Screening for prostate cancer involves a simple blood test called a PSA that measures the level of protein called prostate-specific antigen in the blood. Normally PSA is found in the blood at very low levels. Elevated PSA readings can be a sign of prostate cancer. A physical examination–called a digital rectal exam or DRE–is also given to detect prostate cancer. Together, these tests take about 10 minutes to perform and could save a man’s life. Early detection and treatment are key factors in addressing prostate cancer. That is why on Saturday, March 18, men are encouraged to come to the Pike County Health Department to be screened.