WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Downtown Health Plaza of Baptist Hospital will sponsor a free screening for prostate cancer Thursday, Sept. 20 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 22 from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. at 1200 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The American Cancer Society recommends a blood test for the prostate specific
antigen (PSA) and a digital rectal exam (DRG) annually, beginning at age 50 for
men who do not have any major medical problems and can be expected to live at
least 10 more years. Men at high risk should begin testing at age 45. Those at
high risk include African American men and men who have a close relative (father,
brother, or son) who had prostate cancer before age 65.
Men at even higher risk (because they have several close relatives with prostate
cancer at an early age) could begin testing at age 40. Depending on the results of
the first tests, they might not need more testing until age 45.
To schedule an appointment for free PSA and DRG on Thursday, Sept. 20, call
716-2255. Men without an appointment may come for a free testing on Saturday,
Sept. 22.
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Media contact: Jim Steele, 716-3487, jsteele@wfubmc.edu, Bonnie Davis,
bdavis@wfubmc.edu; or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, (336) 716-4587.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is an academic health system
comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest University Health
Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine. The system comprises
1,154 acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and is
consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World
Report.