White Plains, NY (September 2011) - White Plains Hospital’s Department of Urology and The Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center will once again be offering free prostate screenings on three dates in September to coincide with National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.  The screenings will take place on the main floor of the Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center on Longview Avenue in White Plains on Monday September 12 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon; Monday September 19 also from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon; and Thursday September 22 from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM. Screenings will consist of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test and a health history questionnaire.  Staff from the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) will be available to provide health information and answer any questions.  Pre-registration is required. To make an appointment, please call 914-681-2701.

This is the fifth year that White Plains Hospital has been offering this free service to the community in an effort to promote prostate health.  According to the American Cancer Society, one in every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, and roughly a quarter of a million new cases will be diagnosed this year alone.  The American Cancer Society recommends annual prostate screenings for all men ages 50 and older. Some, including African-Americans and anyone with a close relative who was diagnosed with cancer at an early age, should begin their annual prostate checks at age 45.