Pine Bluff, Arkansas – National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is observed every September in the United States by health experts and advocates and individuals concerned with men’s prostate health. In an effort to raise awareness about prostate health, Arkansas urology decided to provide 300 free prostate screenings last month at multiple locations across the state.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men globally. Prostate cancer accounts for 15 percent of all diagnosed cancer cases in male patients, and that’s the reason why many health experts, officials, and individuals are trying to raise awareness about this disease.
As we already reported last month, Arkansas urology hosted several events in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, North Little Rock, El Dorado, and Bentonville where a total of 300 screenings were conducted free of charge.
A month later, Arkansas urology provided the results of the screenings. According to the results, abnormally high amounts of prostate-specific antigen were found in 17 people, while five of them qualified as critically high. The specific antigen doesn’t mean that every single one of these cases has prostate cancer, but it’s very important because it serves as a potential prostate cancer indicator.
Although undergoing a prostate screening every once in a while is very important for early prostate cancer detection, there are several reasons why males are skipping these screenings. Experts believe that one of the main reasons is insurance, further explaining that many people are underinsured or have no medical insurance at all. Race, in some cases, is also a factor, and so is anxiety about the exam.
Taking into consideration the fact that prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men, around 260,000 men in America might be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the end of the year, while prostate cancer fatalities might reach up to 34,000. The estimated numbers were provided by the American Cancer Society.
