Health First Co-Sponsors 11th Annual Men’s Health Summit

By  //  May 14, 2012

Free Prostate Cancer Screening

(Video by HealthiNation)

COCOA, FLSeveral local healthcare providers are teaming up to provide FREE prostate cancer screening tests at the 11th Annual Men’s Health Summit on Saturday, June 9, from 9 am to noon at the Health Sciences Building, Building 20, on the Brevard Community College (BCC) campus at 1519 Clearlake Road in Cocoa.  The event is co-sponsored by Health First, the Central Brevard Branch of the NAACP, Parrish Medical Center, Wuesthoff Health System, and Brevard Community College.

The event includes free PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams, which will be provided along with other health screenings and information.

In 2003, at the age of 60, movie icon Robert de Niro was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Regular checkups to test for the disease meant he was diagnosed in its early stages, and he's now 9-years disease free.

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men.  Additionally, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer —though statistics cite a low number of deaths when the disease is detected early.

Those at higher risk are recommended to get annual prostate cancer exams, and include:

  • Men over age 50 who have never had a PSA blood test and digital rectal exam
  • Men age 40 or older who have had a close relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65
  • African-American men

*Those currently under the care of a physician for prostate cancer, or who have had surgery to remove the prostate, should not have the PSA blood test or digital rectal exam at this event.  Instead, they are encouraged to bring a friend or family member who has not been tested before.

The Men’s Health Summit is open to all residents of Brevard County. Screenings are FREE and performed on a first-come, first-served basis.  For more information, call 321-434-4335.