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Pardee offers free prostate cancer screenings Tuesday

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 9, 2024

UNC Health Pardee is offering free prostate cancer screenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the hospital announced.

Screenings, which are by appointment only, will take place at Pardee Cancer Center, 805 Sixth Ave. West. Participants must call 828-696-1342 to schedule an appointment; walk-ins will not be accepted.

Men ages 40 to 77 who have never been diagnosed with or had treatment for prostate cancer are eligible, provided they have not had another prostate screening within one year, including DRE and PSA screenings. 

 “When caught early, prostate cancer is highly treatable,” urologist Glover Little said. The most common risk factor for prostate cancer is age. Men have an increased chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer as they age. Other risk factors include racial and ethnic background and family history. Compared with white men, black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health. 

“Men should talk with their provider about their risk factors and discuss when prostate screening is recommended,” Little said.