September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Good Samaritan encourages all men to get screened. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the goal of screening for prostate cancer is to find cancer early that may spread if not treated.

There are two tests that are commonly used to screen for prostate cancer. The first is a blood test called prostate specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a substance the prostate makes and the blood test measures the level of PSA in the blood. The PSA level may be high if a man has prostate cancer and for other reasons, such as having an enlarged prostate, a prostate infection, or taking certain medications.

The other screening used is a digital rectal examination. This exam is when a health care provider inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into a man’s rectum to feel the prostate for anything abnormal, such as cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men, and prostate cancer mortality has decreased since PSA testing has become available,” said Dr. Brian Gebhardt, Radiation Oncologist at Good Samaritan. “Screening can help identify prostate cancers when they are easier to treat and more likely to be cured.”

Good Samaritan’s Community Health Services will be offering a few PSA blood screenings throughout the month of September. To see the calendar of screening times and locations, visit gshvin.org/for-your-health/events-calendar, or call Community Health at 812-885-8753.

Men are also invited to attend this year’s Men’s Wellness Fair. This event, which was previously called the Men’s Health Tune Up, will be simplified to only include health screenings this year – thus the one-time name change to Men’s Wellness Fair. The free screenings offered will include blood pressure, colorectal take-home kits, pulse oximetry, and a lab draw that will test blood sugar, lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides), glomerular filtration rate (kidney function), and PSA for prostate cancer.

Attendees must pre-register for the Men’s Wellness Fair online at gshvin.org/wellnessfair or by calling 812-885-3336. All attendees will be socially distanced and must wear a mask. Fasting for 10-12 hours before the lab draw is recommended, but not required.