Monday, October 21, 2013
Men should be screened for prostate cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pink ribbons
are everywhere. This is a great time to remind women to get their annual
mammogram, and for the most part many of them follow through on this advice.
But let’s not forget that outside of skin cancer, prostate
is the most common type of cancer found in American men, according to the
American Cancer Society. One of every six men will get prostate cancer during
his lifetime, compared to one in every eight women getting breast cancer.
For many years Backus has offered an annual free prostate cancer screening, and that will continue Saturday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Backus Hospital. However, only five men have signed up
for appointments. And therein lies the problem — men don’t flock to get their prostate
screenings. But they should.
The process is rather simple. Urologists Dr. Franklin
Friedman and Dr. T. Casey McCullough volunteer their time to conduct the
screening. A digital rectal exam
is done, and blood is drawn for a PSA test.
If more men get prostate cancer than women get breast
cancer, why have so few taken advantage of our free screening? I have noticed that the men are usually
dragged in to their appointments by their wife or significant other. Come on men, don’t wait for a loved one
to drag you by the ear! If you
haven’t had one in the past year, call 860-889-8331, ext. 6381 for your
appointment ... and take good care of yourself.
Alice Facente is a community education nurse for the Backus
Health System. To comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy
Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
# posted by ----------------- @ 6:24 PM 
