Big numbers for prostate screening

Oct. 01--DECATUR -- After having a procedure 2 1/2 years ago, Ray Batman hadn't had a prostate-specific antigen test since.

When Batman, 72, read there were going to be free prostate cancer screenings at the Decatur Memorial Hospital Cancer Care Center on Friday, he figured, "Why not?"

"I thought I might as well get it done," said Batman, the former Dove Inc. Executive Director. "It's time, and this couldn't be any more convenient."

The Cancer Care Institute has held the free prostate screening for any man age 50 and older -- 40 and older for African-Americans -- in September for at least 10 years, but after just 132 showed last year, the number of tests rose to 200 with two hours still to go this year.

"I think we marketed it more this year, and it helped," said Michelle Whitehead, DMH Cancer Care Institute outreach coordinator.

Participants signed up and were handed paperwork to fill out when they entered, with coffee, water and snacks while available while they completed it. They were then taken back to have blood drawn for the PSA test, then the exam room for a digital rectal exam.

Also at the screening was Eric King of the Us TOO Prostate Cancer Support Group. Us TOO meets once a month at the DMH Cancer Care Institute and provides advice, information and support to men with prostate cancer.

"If you've been diagnosed with cancer, you have a bad test or even if you just suspect something, you can come and talk to us and we'll explain the experience we had, the different surgeries and procedures that are available and what's going to happen afterwards," King said. "Our group is small right now, but it was a big help for me when I went through prostate cancer in 2011. I wanted to talk to anyone I could get a hold of."

Prostate cancer isn't easy to talk about for men. Some don't even like to think about it. But King said he was encouraged by the bigger turnout this year, and hopes it will mean a bigger turnout for the support group.

"With some guys, it's like pulling teeth to get them out here to this or to the group," King said. "We're trying to throw them a life raft.

Risk factors for prostate cancer include: family history (men whose father and/or brother have had it are up to 11 times more likely to develop it); ethnicity (the death rate is nearly 2.4 times higher in African-American men); diet (some studies show high fat diets led to an increased risk); and obesity (studies have shown the death rate increases in obese men).

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