KITCHEN TO HOST FREE CANCER SEMINAR & SCREENING

          PHILADELPHIA, February 1 – In partnership with the Fox Chase Cancer Center, state Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen will be hosting a prostate cancer seminar and sponsoring free screenings for men age 40 years and older on Saturday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Joseph’s Hospital auditorium, located at 16^th Street and West Girard Avenue.

          “This event is an opportunity to learn more about this disease, its symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options,” said Kitchen (D-Philadelphia). “One man dies from prostate cancer every seventeen minutes in America, which makes it the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American men. Also, this disease is particularly deadly for the African-American community.”

          According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, African-American men are 65 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared with Caucasian men. Black men are more than twice as likely to die from the disease.

          The medical community has established that age, ethnicity, and family history are risk factors for prostate cancer. Recent studies have also found that high body weight and fat intake may increase prostate cancer’s incidence and morbidity.