KITCHEN ENCOURAGES MEN TO ATTEND FREE PROSTATE SCREENING

            PHILADELPHIA, August 30 – In honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, state Sen. Shirley Kitchen urges men to take advantage of an upcoming free prostate cancer screening offered by Albert Einstein Medical Center.

            The free screening will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Einstein’s Cancer Center, located on the first floor of the Braemer Heart Center Building, 5501 Old York Road.

            To schedule a screening or get more information, call 1-800-EINSTEIN. Screenings will be scheduled after Sept. 1.

            “A prostate screening is a remarkably simple way for men to protect themselves from developing prostate cancer. If detected early through screening, it is nearly 100 percent survivable,” Kitchen said. “That’s why it’s so important to take advantage of this free screening. It could be a life-saving decision.

            “I also want to thank Albert Einstein Medical Center for providing this free service, and for being a vital and active part of the community,” Kitchen added.

            Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. More than 30,000 men will die from it every year.

            Unfortunately, for many men there are no early warning signs or symptoms. The only way to detect prostate cancer in its early stages is through a simple blood test and a digital rectal exam. 

            It is recommended that African-American men be screened yearly starting at age 40. Caucasian and Asian men should start being screened yearly at age 50.