USC, Robinsons Offer Free Prostate Screening

During a routine examination last year, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles underwent prostate screening in time to get treatment for a prostate tumor, which, outside of skin cancer, is the most common malignancy in men.

A major medical center is making it easy for men to get that same peace of mind. USC’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is teaming up for the third year with Robinsons-May department stores to offer free prostate screenings.

Last year, Mahony heard about the USC-Robinsons-May program while at USC and suggested that shoppers at the stores give the men in their lives the screenings as gifts.

By calling (800) USC-CARE from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays through June 30, men can make appointments at the cancer center during Fridays in July. The program began last week to coincide with the Father’s Day holiday, and postcards urging families to “Give Dad the Gift of Health” will be distributed to shoppers in Robinsons-May stores throughout Los Angeles County.

Last year, USC-Norris conducted more than 500 free screenings as part of the program, which was extended through August to accommodate strong demand.

According to the American Cancer Society, 185,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. Eventually, 40,000 will die from it.

Doctors look for signs of prostate cancer in two ways: through a manual examination of the walnut-sized prostate gland, and through a blood test that looks for high levels of a protein called Prostate Specific Antigen. Diagnosis is confirmed through a biopsy.

Current screening guidelines recommend that men begin annual testing at age 50, or as early as 40 or 45 if they have a family history of the disease. Treatments include surgical removal of the prostate, radiation therapy or hormone therapy to shrink the tumor.