The Urology Centers of Alabama in Birmingham will sponsor free PSA screenings for ages 40 and over March 19 at the Pike County Health Department.

The prostate cancer screenings will be from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and no appointment is necessary.

Dr. Thomas Moody said Urology Centers of Alabama has been offering free PSA screenings throughout the state for 10 years and for about six years in Troy.

“The good news is that things are getting better,” Moody said. “The death rate from prostate cancer is going down. And what is so important about that is the difference between incidents in black and white men is less.”

Moody said black men are at a higher risk for prostate cancer than white men.

“More black men are being checked and the earlier prostate cancer is detected the greater chance that it can be cured. That is why we are seeing a decrease in the death rate from prostate cancer among black men.

Urology Centers of Alabama is partnering with Troy Regional Medical Center for this round of prostate screenings to include glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure checks also at no charge.

“Most men aren’t as good about getting health checks as women,” Moody said. “For whatever reasons, they don’t make it in. So we are offering these other health checks while they are here. And, we’ll make them quick and easy.”

All that is needed for the PSA screening and other health checks is the individual’s name, an address where the results can be sent by mail and a phone number.

“If an abnormality is found, the patient will be notified and he can choose to go to a urologist, his family physician or any physician of his choice,” Moody said. “However, if a guy has no funds or insurance, he can come to Urology Centers of Alabama in Birmingham for treatment. We will not leave anybody hanging high and dry. We will take care of whatever procedure is necessary. So, there’s no financial reason not to come for the free PSA screenings.

About 100 men in the Pike County area took advantage of the free PSA screenings offer last March by Urology Centers of Alabama.

“We would like to have an even better turnout this year,” Moody said. “We recommend the prostate cancer screenings for ages 40 and up but we don’t turn anybody away. If we find the cancer in its early stages it is treatable. Waiting until a cancer is in an advanced stage is a recipe for disaster.”

Moody said some prostate cancers don’t need any treatment, just to be watched closely.

“Prostate cancer, if detected early, is treatable and most often curable,” he said. “That’s the reason Urology Centers of Alabama offers free PSA screenings. Still, too many guys die from prostate cancer. The number of deaths from prostate cancer is going down. We want that trend to continue.”