Dr. Rob Emery
Free prostate cancer screenings will return Sept. 23 after a four-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. White River Medical Center will host the event from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Josephine Raye Rogers Center for Women & Imaging conference center, 1710 Harrison St.
Dr. Rob Emery, a urologist at the hospital, said he and his colleague, Dr. Hunter Brown, had provided screenings annually from 1998 to 2020. “We had to shut it down for COVID, and it’s taken a while to get the legs back underneath it,” Emery said. “But here we are, and we’re ready to roll.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, according to Emery. “Early detection is the key,” he said. “It doesn’t always mean you’re going to have to have treatment, but at least you know what you’re dealing with, and you can make a plan.”
The screening consists of a blood test and a brief exam. It is recommended for men ages 50 to 75, but men as young as 40 should be screened if they are African American or have a family history of the disease.
Emery noted that some men hesitate about the exam but stressed its importance. “For 10 seconds of discomfort, it can save lives,” he said.
Listen below for a more in-depth visit with White River Now’s Chad Whiteaker and Dr. Rob Emery about the event:
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Appointments are required by calling (870) 262-1834.