New Brunswick, N.J. – One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men other than skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. That is why Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and its flagship hospital Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJ) are joining forces to offer a free prostate cancer education and screening event, to provide men and their families with a better understanding of the disease. Registration for the event, which has tested thousands of men over the past 17 years, is now open and will be offered to men across the state on September 15, 16 and 17 in recognition of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
The screening and education event has long been supported by local clergy, civic leaders, and their respective institutions whose community presence has encouraged groups of men to attend. “This collective support from our community leaders resonates with these men and has resulted in them coming to the event on a consistent basis. As a result, these men bring family and friends, enabling us to offer both the screening service and vital information about prostate health to a much broader population,” notes Mariam Merced, director of the RWJ Community Health Promotion Program.
At the event, men will receive a digital rectal exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, as well as educational literature focused on prostate health. Men and their families also will have the opportunity to speak to a urologic oncologist from the Prostate Cancer Program at the Cancer Institute. Assistance for Spanish speakers will be available.
“One’s personal risk and family history of prostate cancer are key factors as to when a man should begin to be screened for the disease and how often. That is why beginning at age 40, all men should have this important conversation with their doctor,” says Cancer Institute urologic oncologist Sammy E. Elsamra, MD, who is heading the clinical component of this year’s event. “For men who do not have a family physician or health insurance, the free screening and education event provides an opportunity for them to better protect their prostate health,” adds Dr. Elsamra, who is also an assistant professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Registration is now open for the screenings, which run from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. all three evenings at the Cancer Institute (195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick) and are open to all men 40 and older. Limited free parking will be available. For those taking mass transit, the Cancer Institute is one block south of the New Brunswick train station. While the screenings are free, an appointment is necessary and can be made by calling 1-888-MD-RWJUH (1-888-637-9584). Additional information can be found at: http://cinj.org/prostatescreening.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at the Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-3637 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center and Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center. Affiliate Hospitals: JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 965-bed academic medical center with campuses in New Brunswick and Somerville, NJ. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, joint replacement, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). As the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, RWJUH is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the only Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report seven times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in numerous specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report three times.
Both the New Brunswick and Somerset campuses have earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services have designated the New Brunswick Campus as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Somerset Campus as a Primary Stroke Center.
The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH New Brunswick among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers and designated the Steeplechase Cancer Center at RWJ Somerset as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center. The Joint Surgery Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total knee and total hip replacement surgery.
For more Information visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.