Free Prostate Cancer Screenings to be Provided in Spartanburg

Spartanburg, SC - April 16, 2009 - Cancer Centers of the Carolinas (CCC) will provide free prostate cancer screenings on Saturday, April 18th at the offices of the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties, located at 295 E. Main Street, Suite 100 in Spartanburg, SC. Partnered with Mary Black Hospital and the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties, the doctors will accept walk-in and pre-registered patients from 7:00 - 11:00 a.m. Recommended for men age 45 and older, protein-specific antigen (PSA) screening is the most effective test currently available for the early detection of prostate cancer - the second leading cause of cancer death in American men.

With a simple blood draw, doctors can detect elevated levels of PSA - a protein produced by the prostate gland - in a man's blood. Elevated PSA scores can indicate abnormal activity in the prostate gland, including cancer. Paired with a digital rectal exam ( DRE), the screening can detect cancer in its earliest stages when treatment is most effective. While the American Urologic Association recommends the test for all men age 50 and older, African American men and those with a family history of the disease are advised to begin screening at age 40.

Samuel K. Wood, M.D., a medical oncologist with CCC, says the widespread use of PSA screening has helped many men seek treatment for their disease at its earliest stages. "When caught at a beginning stage, prostate cancer is a very treatable disease," Dr. Wood said. "An advanced case, however, is a much different story. If we can help men in the Upstate discover their disease sooner, we could literally save their life. We hope that by providing this service for free, it will encourage more patients to come out and take this very important test." Screening takes 30 to 45minutes and patients will be contacted with results within 10 days.

Patients can pre-register for their screening by calling The Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties at (864) 582-0771. For more information, contact Glaydeane Lee at glee@cancerassociation.org.

ABOUT CANCER CENTERS OF THE CAROLINAS:    Cancer Centers of the Carolinas (CCC) is a community-based, physician-owned practice with twenty-six board certified oncologists practicing in eight locations in the Upstate of South Carolina. CCC is the Upstate's largest cancer care group, treating more than 6,000 new patients annually. CCC specializes in medical oncology, radiation oncology, gynecologic oncology, hematology, blood and marrow transplantation and clinical research. 

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