Free Prostate Screenings Offered in Recognition of September as National Prostate Health Month

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SANTA MARIA, CA – September 14, 2021 – Dignity Health Central Coast hospitals want to reinforce the importance of being screened for prostate cancer, the leading cancer in men, affecting one in seven men. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a decline in routine screenings, such as colonoscopies, which have resulted in higher stage cancer diagnoses.

In recognition of this important month of awareness, Marian Cancer Care at Mission Hope Cancer Center is offering free prostate cancer screenings to men without health coverage, 55 to 69 years of age. This free prostate cancer screening will take place on Saturday, September 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 

In its early stages, prostate cancer does not have any noticeable symptoms.  If, however, a man with prostate cancer waits to act until he has symptoms, the cancer may already have grown outside the prostate and progressed to the point where it is rarely curable. Regular screening offers the best way to maximize a man's chances of discovering the cancer while it is still in its earliest and most curable stages.  This screening test only takes minutes to complete, and could be live saving.  

The screening is intended to catch the cancer in its earliest stages when it is most treatable.  The prostate makes a substance called prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and the levels of PSA are measured in a blood test.  Levels can be high for many reasons, but if concerned, your physician may refer to you to a urology specialist for further testing.  

Space is limited for this free prostate cancer screening and registration is required.  For information or to register, please call 805.219.HOPE (4673). Mission Hope Cancer Center is located at 1325 East Church Street, Santa Maria. 

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, CA. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level III trauma center, a level II neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades®.

Marian Regional Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, CA and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, CA make up Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency.