Northside Hospital Offers Free Prostate Cancer Screening for Men in Cherokee County

By Katherine Watson, Northside Hospital - Atlanta, Forsyth, Cherokee senior public relations specialist

It’s estimated that nearly 7,000 men in Georgia, more than 100 men in Cherokee County alone, will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).  It remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men.  To help raise awareness of the disease, Northside Hospital is offering a free prostate cancer screening at its Cherokee campus in March.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
6-8 p.m.
Northside Hospital-Cherokee Outpatient Rehabilitation Services Building
211 Hospital Road, Canton
To register, call 404-845-5555 and press "0."
Qualified interpreter available on site.

Health care professionals will screen adult men for symptoms of the disease and offer free PSA (protein specific antigen) blood tests and digital rectal exams at no charge.  Uninsured men, age 40-75, who have never been diagnosed with prostate cancer, are not currently under a physician’s care for prostate-related problems and haven’t had a prostate exam within the past year, are eligible to participate.  A limited number of appointments will be made available for men with insurance.  Follow-up care also will be available for all uninsured men, who receive a prostate cancer diagnosis.

Men are encouraged to talk with their health care provider to determine if screening for prostate cancer is appropriate for them.  The American Cancer Society recommends that men discuss the benefits and limitations of screening, beginning at age 50 if they are at average risk for the disease, and, beginning at age 45 if they are at high risk.  Men at high risk include African-American men and men with a first-degree relative (father, brother, son), diagnosed at an early age (younger than age 65).  Men, who have several first-degree relatives who had prostate cancer at an early age, should discuss the pros and cons of early screening with their physician, beginning at age 40.

More cases of prostate cancer are treated at Northside Hospital than at any other community hospital in Atlanta, with successful outcomes beating the national average.  An NCI Cancer Centers P rogram (NCCCP), Northside leads the way in groundbreaking procedures for better outcomes and less invasive treatments for prostate cancer, offering a wide range of options – from the minimally invasive to the latest advances in surgery.  For more information, visit www.northside.com.

The Prostate cancer screening is free to participate, but registration is required.  Call 404-845-5555 and press "0" to schedule an appointment.

The Northside Hospital health care delivery system is a not-for-profit health care provider and has served north Metro Atlanta for 40 years.  With more than 2,000 physicians and 6,000 employees, the hospital sees nearly 700,000 patient visits a year.  Staffs provide a full range of health care services, including women’s health, cancer care, emergency care, surgery, specialty medicine and a wide array of outpatient services at many locations.  Northside Hospital offers high-quality health care at Northside Hospital-Atlanta in Sandy Springs, Northside Hospital-Cherokee in Canton and Northside Hospital-Forsyth in Cumming.