At Prowers Medical Center’s Health Fair, a prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening is one of the eight tests included for males.

“All men who do the health fair labs will get a PSA test,” said Prowers Medical Center family physician Dr. Richard Book. “It’s a wonderful community health tool to check for prostate cancer. Early detection is the key to a better outcome.”

Prostate Problems

The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that sits in your pelvis. Only people assigned male at birth have a prostate. The prostate grows with age, and if not checked appropriately can cause various health problems, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis and prostate cancer.

Checking PSA Levels

The PSA screening test measures the amount of prostate specific antigen in your blood. Both prostatitis and prostate cancer can increase PSA levels.

“I start checking PSA levels annually for every gentleman at the age of 50,” Dr. Book said. “This continues typically until about age 75. For men who have a family history of prostate cancer—a first-degree relative, meaning a parent or sibling—I want to start checking at age 40.”

Dr. Book said that the rate of increase in PSA is something he watches. “If I start out with a PSA of 1 and the next year it’s at 2.5, then our antennae go up and we start following it more closely,” Dr. Book said.

In 2024, we’re offering our popular Health Fair once each quarter! For just $25, you’ll receive seven essential blood tests (eight for men) that help you and your providers stay on top of your health.

Call 719-336-8363 to schedule your bloodwork for the month(s) of your choice: January, April, July and/or October!

The PSA screening test included in the Prowers Medical Center Health Fair will help providers determine what, if anything, needs to be done next. “A digital rectal exam may be awkward,” Dr. Book said, “but it’s important. If we don’t do one, there might be a lump that gets missed.”

Early Detection Is Key

“If prostate cancer is detected early, there are very good treatments available,” Dr. Book said. “There have been excellent advancements in recent years.”

In older men, slowly rising PSA levels may require no treatment. “For older guys, it’s usually slow-growing,” Dr. Book said. “So we often just watch the levels.”

Dr. Book urges men in our community to take advantage of the $25 Health Fair screenings.

To make an appointment for Prowers Medical Center’s Health Fair in January, April, July or October, call 719-336-8363.