SGMC Hosting Free Prostate Cancer Screening in September

Valdosta, GA – September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and South Georgia Medical Center is urging men to take responsibility for their prostate health.  On Thursday, September 17 from 6pm – 7:30pm at the Pearlman Cancer Center, SGMC will host their annual, free Prostate Cancer Screening.  SGMC-affiliated Urologist, Dr. Mike Chiang and Bradley G. Ridge, PA-C, will work together to provide the screening and possibly make early detections, which can save lives.  According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. Men of African-American descent are at a significantly higher risk of developing prostate cancer than white men. Among black men, 19 percent will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and five percent of those will die from this disease. The specific causes of prostate cancer are unknown, but there are risk factors that have been identified. They include:• Age. The older a man is, the greater his risk for getting prostate cancer.• Family history. A man with a father, brother, or son who has had prostate cancer is two to three times more likely to develop the disease himself.• Race. Prostate cancer is more common in some racial and ethnic groups than in others, but medical experts do not know why.  Prostate cancer is more common among African American men than among white men.  It is less common among Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American men.To register or to see if you are eligible for this screening, call 229.433.1074.