Loyola’s free prostate cancer screenings on September 17

As part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Loyola University Medical Center will offer free prostate cancer screenings on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

The screenings will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. in Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, 2160 S. First Ave., Maywood.

The screenings will be confidential and will include blood tests and exams by board-certified urologists. Participants will be notified of their blood test results by mail. If a test is abnormal, Loyola medical staff will contact the individual to arrange additional care.

"When caught early enough, prostate cancer is highly treatable," said Robert C. Flanigan, MD, chairman of the Department of Urology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "Early detection can dramatically increase the chances of surviving prostate cancer."

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes. This year nearly 30,000 men are expected to die of the disease. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. In the U.S., 1 in 36 men will die of prostate cancer. Among cancers, only lung cancer is more deadly in men.

The prostate is the gland below the bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer symptoms include:

•Difficulty in initiating urination

•Weak or interrupted flow of urine

•Difficulty in emptying the bladder

•Frequent urination, especially at night

•Pain or burning during urination

•Blood in the urine or semen

•Pain in the back, hips or pelvis that doesn't go away

•Painful ejaculation

The American Urological Association recommends a routine prostate cancer screening for men ages 55 to 69 years. A screening may be recommended every two years after the initial test unless necessary earlier. The decision to undergo a screening involves weighing the benefits and risks. Screenings are not recommended in men under age 40, in those who are between the ages of 40 to 54 at average risk for the disease and typically not in men age 70 or older or those with a life expectancy of less than 10 to 15 years. Men under age 55 who are African-American or who have a family history of prostate cancer should consult with a doctor to determine whether they should be screened.