Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Charlotte, North Carolina

Donna Murray Lacey, Executive Director of The Charlotte Volunteers in Medicine Clinic will be giving free prostate cancer screenings to all men age 40 and older that reside in Mecklenburg County every Tuesday from 1pm - 5pm the month of September in honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness month at The Greenville Center. Donna is very passionate about the work her clinic does for the community - a heart-string as it relates to men. On average, men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths and Prostate Cancer diagnosis account for more than 230,000 new cases, according to the Prostate Cancer Education Council. Statistics also show, this year alone,

• One out of every six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
• More than 30,000 men will die from prostate cancer this year.

General Colin Powell has been named the 2007 Prostate Cancer Education Council Spokesman. General Powell underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2003, and made a full recovery. He is only one of thousands of Americans that are diagnosed each year. Last year, The Charlotte Volunteers in Medicine Clinic hosted Basketball Hall of Fame Legend, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe to speak at the "One Week Men's Challenge" that was sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim (a pharmaceutical company). We received a huge response from the media and the public during that event. CVIM had a record number of men that came to the clinic for free prostate cancer screening.

The Prostate Cancer Education Council recommends that all men should have an annual screening for prostate cancer beginning at age 40. African-American men and men with a family history of prostate cancer may be at a higher risk, so early screening is important.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. There are more annual cases diagnosed in the U.S. than for breast cancer. The lack of symptoms makes it nearly impossible to detect without regular prostate screenings.

Below are some statistics about Prostate Cancer:

Age: Prostate cancer is most common in men over 40 and the risk increases with age.

Race: African American men are twice as likely to get prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from the disease.

Family History: The chances of getting prostate cancer are 1 in 3 if you have just one close relative (father or brother) with the disease.

A simple test will help you to know. If you want to be sure, just stop by the Greenville Recreation Center at 1330 Spring St., Charlotte, NC 28206, or please call, (704) 350-1300. So be smart and come in to be tested and so you can be sure that you will be around to spend time with your family.

CVIM is dedicated to promoting education and awareness and is encouraging all males residing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County age 40 and older (and as early as age 35 if there is family history of prostate cancer. i.e. father, brother, grandfather) to come out every Tuesday in September for a free health screening along with educational materials for prostate cancer treatment and prevention.

About Project HealthShare, Inc./CVIM

The Charlotte Volunteers in Medicine Clinic is a program of Project HealthShare, Inc. Project HealthShare, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is committed to promoting the objectives of Healthy People 2010. Project HealthShare, Inc. supports the federal government's initiative to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in health, which focuses on "closing the gap" with regard to racial and ethnic differences in diabetes, AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and cancer screening.