St. Luke's Hospital at The Vintage offering free prostate cancer screenings

To promote Prostate Heal Month, St. Luke's Hospital at The Vintage will give free prostate cancer exams on a first come, first serve basis by appointment Thursday, Sept. 6.

A press release from the hospital states that one man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and that it is the second leading cause of cancer death in America. The American Cancer Society recommends all men should begin screenings at 50 years old. Those who are at a higher risk, such as African American men and men who have had a family member diagnosed with prostate cancer, should begin their screenings at age 45 or age 40 in some cases.

St. Luke's will have free exams from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6 at the hospital, 20171 Chasewood Park Drive, Houston. The exam includes a prostate specific antigen blood test, which looks for elevated levels of the protein secreted by the prostate, and a digital rectal exam, where the doctor manually exams the prostate for irregularities or lumps.

For more information or to schedule a free prostate screening, call 832-534-5156.