Are you the one in six? Free prostate screening on May 15

Published 12:42 pm Thursday, May 13, 2021

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Men of all races, ethnicities, and above the age of 40 are at risk of developing prostate cancer. Black men are at and even higher risk of developing and dying of prostate cancer. Dr. Thomas Moody is working relentlessly to save men’s lives by offering free screenings and even follow-up care if the patient cannot afford it.

The screenings being offered are non-invasive, no rectal exam will be performed unless findings lean toward a more extensive follow-up. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test will be performed to screen for irregularities and prostate cancer. The screening is being held at the Butler County Health Department 350 Airport Road, Greenville, AL 36037 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Face masks will be required and social distancing enforced to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Dr. Thomas Moody is a retired Urologist who is now president of the Urology Health Foundation. Through these free prostate screening events, Dr. Moody and the foundation have tested more than 15,000 men in Alabama since 2007. The majority of the screenings are held in the Black Belt region of the state due to the high rate of black males with no primary care physician and lack of health insurance.

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“All they need to do is bring in themselves and contact information where we can mail the results to them,” Dr. Moody said. “Doctors at Urology Centers will take care of them for free if they need additional follow-up and are unable to afford care.”

Dr. Moody is extremely passionate about prostate screenings, devoting his free time and energy to take care of men who otherwise would not get checked. He has partnered with the Alabama Department of Public Health to provide medical care for the medically under-served areas of Alabama. The free prostate screenings are held in 22 different counties in Alabama, most of which are located in the Black Belt.

Prostate cancer often does not display symptoms until it is too late to treat. One in six American men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime and one in four black men will develop prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from it. Prostate cancer was the third leading cause of male cancer-related death in the U.S. last year. The widespread use of PSA testing has diagnosed nearly 90% of all prostate cancers at an early stage allowing for treatment and saving lives.

Symptoms, when present, can include decreased force of urine stream and stopping and starting of the urine tract. Later stages of prostate cancer can include pelvic pain, bone pain or bone fractures. Due to the fact that prostate cancer often has no symptoms, this is one blood test that could literally save a life.

The foundation was established in 2003 and is a non-profit organization that educates other physicians and medical professionals in new techniques and procedures being implemented in the urology field.

For more information regarding the screening, please call, 334-382-3154 or visit www.UrologyHealthFoundation.org.