Every year over 230,000 men in the United States are told, “You have prostate cancer.”  While this may be frightening, if your physician finds prostate cancer at an early stage, your chances of survival are excellent.  Ironically, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer and second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of death in men.    In the United States, 70% of all prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men over the age of 65 and incidence of prostate cancer in African American men is over twice the incidence as identified in white men.  Men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer also double their risk of developing the disease.  Early detection and intervention is critical.

Prostate cancer often is not an extremely high medical priority because it has never attracted a high level of patient advocacy.  Men just don’t like to talk about the disease.  The 2007 Prostate Coalition report found that only “28 states and the District of Columbia mandate insurance coverage for routine prostate cancer screening, while 49 states mandate coverage of breast cancer screening.”

On Friday, June 20^th, Citizens Medical Center will host the 5^th annual Prostate Awareness Breakfast in the Central Classroom.  The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m.  Also on the same day, Citizens Medical Center will sponsor a community Prostate Cancer Awareness Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the Town Hall Community Room at First Victoria Bank in downtown Victoria.  Noted urologist, Dr. John White, will speak at both events on symptoms and treatment of prostate cancer.  Coupons for free PSA screenings at Citizens Medical Center will be available for men who meet the American Cancer Society criteria for screening.

Call 578-WISE to reserve your seat for either free event.