Free Prostate Cancer Screenings for Uninsured Men Sept. 23

UR Medicine Urology will provide free prostate cancer screenings for uninsured men on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at Brown Square Health Center, 322 Lake Ave., Rochester. 

The screenings, available by appointment only, will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

To be eligible for the free screening, uninsured men with average risk of the disease must be at least 50 years old. Those who have a family history of the disease must be at least 40 years old.

The free screenings will include a blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test as well as a digital rectal examination (DRE). Men will learn the results of the exams through a letter, which is also sent to their primary care provider, about two weeks after the screening.

One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and for African-American men, the disease is 50 percent more common. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men nationwide, but when it’s found early, it is very treatable.

“Despite all the controversies in screening for prostate cancer, there’s still a large percentage of patients who have moderate or aggressive prostate cancer that, if it goes untreated, can become deadly,” said Hani Rashid, M.D., a urologist who specializes in surgery for prostate and other types of cancer.  “Our goal is to try to catch those cancers before they become problematic.”

If the screening reveals an abnormality, the men would then need a biopsy to determine if there is cancer. Men screened through this program will be able to work with financial counselors to ensure they can get the biopsy and treatment they need. 

To make an appointment for the screening, call (585) 275-2838.