Garnet Health to offer free prostate cancer screenings

Garnet Health Medical Center, in partnership with Garnet Health Doctors, is offering free prostate cancer screenings on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and Thursday, Sept. 26, at their Outpatient Services Building, 707 East Main Street in Middletown. Pre-registration is required. Visit garnethealth.org/prostatescreening or call 845-333-1133. Appointments are limited and are first come, first served.

The prostate cancer screening program is for men who meet the following criteria:

• Are between the ages of 45 and 75.

• Have no personal history of prostate cancer.

• Have not been under the care of a urologist in the past five years.

The prostate screening consists of a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, each of which takes about a minute to perform. Garnet Health said the combination of these two methods is the most effective procedure for detecting prostate cancer at an early stage.

“We encourage all men who are eligible to get this free and simple test,” said Samuel Abourbih, MD, Garnet Health Doctors urologist and Garnet Health Urology Department chair. “Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among men. However, cases detected early are often low risk and can be treated quickly.”

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The healthcare company noted that, by holding this free prostate screening event, Garnet Health wants to “promote awareness, the importance of prostate health, and how screenings and early detection can save lives.”

To learn more about Garnet Health services, visit garnethealth.org.