Michael Carter, Diversity Officer, Mission Healthcare.

Dr. J.G. Cargill, MD, Urologist.

Staff reports

African American men face higher risk, greater benefit.

Free prostate cancer screenings will be offered again this year by the Cancer Program of Mission Hospital and Asheville community urologists. The screening examinations will be done by four area urologists, and a PSA blood test will also be done.

The screenings will be held on two Tuesdays, September 14 and 21, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. at 445 Biltmore Avenue (at Victoria Rd.), on the second floor in the Mission Outpatient Care Center area.

Asheville urologist J. G. Cargill and Mission Diversity Officer Michael Carter both have a message aimed particularly toward African American men: “Take advantage of the free prostate cancer screening. Early detection is important: men whose prostate cancer is detected early, before it has spread, have a 92 percent survival rate at five years.”

Screening is especially valuable for men who do not have a regular physician and those who lack health insurance.

A Life-Saving Exam
No man wants a prostate cancer screening, acknowledges Dr. Cargill, a member of Asheville Urological Associates, speaking of the digital rectal exam. But afterwards almost everyone says, “I thought that was going to be a lot worse than it was.”

And almost all men get the same good news on the spot: “Your prostate feels normal.”

For urologists like Dr. Cargill, it’s especially rewarding to be able to say those words to African American men, because they have a higher than average rate of prostate cancer and prostate cancer tends to be especially aggressive in this group. Those factors explain why African American men are encouraged to get screenings beginning at age 40.

“I believe that part of the problem is that African American men wait to come in,” Dr. Cargill said. “So treatment begins later. And there is no question that early screening reduces the death rate from prostate cancer. A 14-year study has just been released that once again confirms that fact. And the younger the man, the more [early screening and treatment] reduces mortality.”

Serenity – and Relief
From what African Americans have told him, black males are especially strong in their resistance to prostate screening, Dr. Cargill said.
 “It’s a major issue,” he said. “There’s the embarrassment, and there is concern about the potential for discomfort. But it’s extremely rare for the exam to be painful. For almost all men, it won’t hurt. And it’s done privately.”

Dr. Cargill encourages patients to undergo screening by telling them to “think of the peace of mind you’ll have when it’s over, the sense of release. Think of the satisfaction you’ll have telling your wife ‘See! I don’t have cancer!’ The worry is gone. You’ll feel so much better.”

Michael Carter, Diversity Officer for Mission Hospital, agrees with Cargill and urges his fellow African American men to take care of themselves. He admits that he himself avoided his first screening.

“It’s easy to get busy, to put it off. You do feel a little bit violated. But you’ve got to think about the larger picture. When I did it, I walked out feeling at peace, a [feeling of] serenity. I’d gotten a bill of good health. Of course I felt relief.”

For those who don’t get a clean bill of health, the benefit can be even more important: the screening catches cancers early. “Like a friend of my father’s who is a judge in Maryland,” said Carter. “He caught it early and is still alive and well into his eighties. The data is out there.

“We have to get over our own fears and take responsibility for our own health,” he continued. “It’s a spiritual imperative, taking care of the temple. It’s the foods we eat, the thoughts we think, the attitude we carry—all of that is our responsibility. We must take responsibility as African American men, for the sake of our communities, for the sake of our children.”

Carter’s advice? “I want to say ‘Hey man! You’re worth an hour. It’s for your own health.’ And, of course, “It’s free!”

Free prostate cancer screenings will be held on two Tuesdays, September 14 and 21, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. at 445 Biltmore Avenue (the corner of Biltmore Ave. and Victoria Rd.), on the second floor in the Mission Outpatient Care Center area.

Four Asheville urologists have volunteered to conduct the screenings. In addition to Dr. Cargill, they are Mark Yarborough, MD, also from Asheville Urological Associates, and Scott Sech, MD and Brian Cohen, MD, both from Victoria Urological Associates.

Appointments are Required
To make an appointment, call (828) 213-4150 or (800) 238-7128. Women are welcome to call on behalf of the men they love.

Who is Eligible
Screening is available for African American men aged 40 and above and those who have a strong family history of prostate cancer. For others, screening is open to men who are between the ages of 50 and 75. Screening is free to men who:
•    are not currently a patient of a urologist in Asheville
•    have not had a prostate biopsy in the last year
•    have never been diagnosed with prostate cancer