The most common non-skin cancer among men is prostate cancer. That said, more specifically, Black men will be affected more by prostate cancer at a significantly high rate. Nearly 60% of Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than their white brethren, according to data provided by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
Clark Atlanta University and the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) are teaming up to educate Black men – young and old- about their risks of developing prostate cancer and why screenings are highly recommended by health care professionals.
Wednesday, Sept. 21 from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. CTCA will host a screening event on the freshman quad in front of Clark Atlanta’s Thayer Hall.
In Atlanta the incidence rate of Black men developing prostate cancer in comparison to white men is even higher. Early detection is one way to fight prostate cancer, according to Dr. Bamidele A. Adesunloye, a medical oncologist at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Atlanta in Newnan. Early detection can go a long way to helping bringing those numbers down.
“Catching it early is a very important thing,” said Adesunloye. “As a Black person, our risk is much higher. You’re doing this for yourself and your family,” he said.
It is recommended that men ages 45 and above get screened for prostate cancer. It is recommended that if a man has multiple family members with prostate cancer he needs to be screened as early as 40 years old.
Annually over 250,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate with 35,000 dying from the disease.
Testing, testing
The traditional prostate test scares some men from taking the leap, but Adesunloye says the digital rectal examination where a doctor…well you know, is what comes after a blood screening.
Prostate cancer can be tested through blood testing. “A screening is a test to see if your prostate specific antigen (PSA) is high, so having a prostate screening test is not that invasive,” he said. The prostate producing an abnormal amount of PSA is one way prostate cancer is detected.
Registration for the event, which includes a $25 cash payment or proof of insurance can be made by calling the Cancer Treatment Centers of America at 770-400-6677.