FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 21, 2008

CONTACT:
Cindy Hickey, 330-489-1212
cindy.hickey@cantonmercy.org

Free Prostate Cancer Screening

Canton, Ohio: Mercy Medical Center is offering free prostate cancer screenings on Monday, Sept. 15 beginning at 6 p.m. at Mercy Cancer Center, located at 1320 Mercy Drive, NW, in Canton. Screenings are available for men 50 years of age and older who are not currently under the care of a urologist. African American men 45 years and older are eligible for the screening.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, other than skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Approximately 186,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Early detection starts with a digital rectal exam and PSA blood test.

Registration is required. To register, call Mercy’s Healthcare Connection at 330-489-1333 or 800-223-8662. Free parking is available at the Mercy Cancer Center entrance off 12th Street.

Mercy Cancer Center is not just a building. It’s the heart of Mercy’s integrated cancer program. Accredited with commendation as a Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons (ACOS) Commission on Cancer, Mercy Cancer Center coordinates Mercy’s broad range of diagnostic procedures, innovative treatments, national cancer research trials, complementary medicine program and support services. This means most cancer patients can receive cutting-edge cancer care right here in our community.

Mercy Medical Center, a nonprofit corporation of the Sisters of Charity Health System and University Hospitals Health System, operates a 476-bed hospital serving Stark, Carroll, Wayne, Holmes and Tuscarawas Counties and parts of Southeastern Ohio. It has 550 physicians on its Medical Staff and employs 2,500 people. Mercy operates outpatient health centers in Carrollton, Jackson Township, Lake Township, Louisville and North Canton. A Catholic hospital, Mercy Medical Center upholds the mission and philosophy of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine and continues to be responsive to the needs of the community, including the provision of care to all, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information, see www.cantonmercy.com.