20 Sep 2021 Conway Regional offers free prostate cancer screenings and educational program

Conway Regional Health System will hold its annual free Prostate Cancer Screening and Awareness program from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 5, by appointment only. To make an appointment, call 501.513.5858 and leave a message. The registration deadline is Oct. 2. Prostate cancer screenings aim to find cancer early that may spread if left untreated. 

Those with increased risk for prostate cancer should have a screening annually, according to the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation. This includes men with a family history of prostate cancer, those ages 45 to 75, and African American men. Screening and early detection can increase the chance of survival for those diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Registration is required for this program, and appointment times must be strictly kept. All participants will be screened prior to entering the East Lobby of the Conway Regional Medical Center, and the number of men in the waiting area will be limited due to state health department social distancing requirements. 

“Our challenge is always making people aware of the importance of the screening, particularly among men who are least able to afford the traditional screenings at a family doctor’s office,” said Lori Reynolds, RN, oncology outreach coordinator. “We are also targeting the wives and daughters who are usually the ones convincing the men to come in for the screening.”

The event holds personal significance for Reynolds because it enabled physicians to find her father’s prostate cancer.

The Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation will be onsite to provide a 15-minute educational program for the men prior to the actual screening, which consists of a PSA blood test and a rectal exam. The Prostate Cancer Foundation will also evaluate the results of the screenings and send each man a letter explaining his results and, in some cases, recommending any needed follow-up visits to a family doctor. 

The medical staff of the Arkansas Urology Clinic in Conway, along with other area physicians, Conway Regional employees, and members of the community volunteer their time for the screening.