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Montefiore in the News
Help Protect the Men in Your Life from Prostate Cancer
- June 17, 2010
Montefiore Offers Free PSA Screenings the Week of June 21st
Know the Signs of Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer does not typically cause any symptoms during early, or even later, stages. As the disease advances, symptoms can include:
• Difficulty urinating or decreased force of urine;
• Blood in the urine and/or semen;
• Pain or discomfort in the pelvic area;
• Swelling in the legs; and
• Bone pain
Bronx, NY (June 16, 2010) - Father's Day is an opportunity to think about the men we know and help ensure that they live long, healthy lives. The key to living a productive, healthy life is prevention of disease, including the prevention of prostate cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death among men.
An estimated 240,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year nationwide. In the Bronx, the disease is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths and African American men are particularly vulnerable.
During the week after Father's Day, Montefiore Medical Center will offer free prostate cancer screenings for men 40 and over. The free screenings will be held in conjunction with a citywide prostate screening and education campaign sponsored annually by the NY Daily News. The dates and locations of the Montefiore screenings are:
- 4-7 p.m. on Monday, June 21; Wednesday, June 23; and Friday, June 25 at Montefiore's Moses Division/Gold Zone, 1st floor, 111 East 210th St., Bronx, NY
- 1-5 p.m. on Monday, June 21 at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care, 1521 Jarret Place, 1st floor, Bronx, NY
Watch for screening applications in the Daily News next week. For more information about the screenings at Montefiore, please call (718) 920-7697.
Early Detection is Critical
For men, a physical exam to check for an abnormal feeling or nodular enlarged prostate, and a blood test, called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test which measures the blood levels of a protein produced by the prostate gland, may be recommended. A PSA test can help detect prostate cancer before the disease advances. In 2009, the American Urological Association suggested that physicians offer the test to men as young as 40 along with a discussion on the risks and benefits of screening and early detection.
"There is certainly less debate on the benefits of early detection for men in high risk groups such as those with a family history of prostate cancer, as well as African-American and Hispanic men," said Reza Ghavamian, MD, Director of Urologic Oncology and Robotic Urologic Surgery at Montefiore.
In the event of a prostate cancer diagnosis, the Prostate Cancer Program at the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Cancer Care, led by Dr. Ghavamian, offers a range of innovative and minimally-invasive procedures to treat all stages of prostate cancer while retaining quality of life. A multidisciplinary team includes surgeons and physicians who are pioneers in robotic and open radical prostatectomy, brachytherapy or prostate seed implantation, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, and managing high-risk prostate cancer patients.
"Our team works collaboratively to provide individualized, timely and compassionate care focused on treating prostate cancer optimizing patient outcomes by preserving the patient's quality of life," said Dr. Ghavamian
For more information, visit www.montefiore.org/urology-diseases-conditions-cancer-prostate. To make an appointment with a urologist at Montefiore, please call 718-405-8280.
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