HAMPTON, Va. — I've been very public about my prostate cancer diagnosis and experience receiving treatment in an effort to encourage other men to get screened. If you're due for screenings, an upcoming local event is offering these critical tests for free.
At the Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute's annual men's health fair, attendees can get prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and digital rectal exams, as well as insight from health professionals and survivors.
Among the prominent voices in support of the event is Hampton Mayor Jimmy Gray.
"It's important that I share, at least with the platform I have, to encourage people to be aware of prostate cancer and what it means if you don't do early detection, versus what it means if you detect it early — your survivability rate is much higher," said Mayor Gray.
Watch: Don't fear the finger! A journey through prostate cancer
Hampton University President Lt. General Darrell Williams is echoing Gray's remarks on the importance of getting tested sooner rather than later: "This is an all-hands-on-deck effort. It's a crisis with our community. It's a crisis across America. And men are dying needlessly for something that is 99% curable if caught early."
I've shared that early detection was critical in my case. It was back in December of 2023 when I first started sharing my prostate cancer journey. My treatment ended over a year ago and I've been happy to report my recent lab work shows no sign of cancer.
Watch related: President Biden's 'aggressive' prostate cancer diagnosis discussed on Healthy Dude podcast
The Hampton University Proton Cancer Institute will be making a huge push for early detection at the upcoming fair. Mayor Gray is hoping it's a wake-up call for some men.
"I think the message is to educate yourself about prostate cancer and other health concerns that you could have," he noted. "Establishing that relationship with a primary care physician, getting examinations, getting a PSA test and knowing what your PSA rate is. Early detection is key to surviving prostate cancer. And I know that there are too many men out there who have lost that battle with prostate cancer because they waited too long, and they waited until it was too late."
Charlie Hill, a prostate cancer survivor of 23 years and founder of the Hampton Roads Prostate Health Forum, is speaking at the health fair. He says event organizers are not only trying to reach men, but also women, noting the impact they can have by encouraging loved ones to get tested.
"Women can help get men to show up. What we want to do is... get them involved and help," Hill said.
