Health

By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer

This month, more than a dozen East Texas Medical Center campuses are hosting free prostate screenings for the 10th year, hospital officials announced this week.

Nearly 1,500 men were screened in 2007. Only 61 of those came back with abnormalities, a possible early sign of the disease that can be curable if detected, hospital officials said.

The simple blood test identifies the level of prostate specific antigen, and more than 26,000 men in East Texas have been screened since 1998.

Eligibility includes:

Men over 50

Black men over 40

Symptoms of prostate cancer may include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, difficulty starting or stopping urine flow or inability to urinate, lower back or pelvis pain, painful ejaculation, frequent urination or blood in urine.

Prostate cancer kills 28,660 men each year, and men have a one-in-six chance of developing the disease in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

Innovative treatment has made therapy less painful with fewer side effects, said ETMC Dr. James Kolker, a radiation oncologist.

Appointments for a prostate screening at an ETMC location can be made by calling 1-800-850-7050.

Proceeds from ETMC’s Henry M. Bell Jr. annual golf tournament has helped pay for prostate cancer screenings and this year’s tournament is set for Sept. 15 at Willow Brook Country Club.