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'Older men and African-American men'

The Union Daily Times - 3/18/2019

March 13-- Mar. 13--UNION COUNTY -- It's generally known that smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer but did you know that it can also help cause prostate cancer?

It may be hard to believe, but it's the truth according to Staci Roberts, Community Outreach Manager for the Gibbs Cancer Center of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, who says that environmental factors such as smoking not only increase a man's likelihood of getting lung cancer, but also any other cancer including prostate cancer.

Of course, working in the textile mills of yesterday can also have an impact on whether or not you get cancer, including both lung and prostate cancer and that's one of the reasons why the Gibbs Cancer Center is having a free "Prostate Screening" at its Union office on Monday, March 18.

"We have started with our outreach to be specific about where we hold our screenings," Roberts said in announcing the screening. "For Union County we have noticed an increase in prostate cancer as well as lung cancer. Last year, for Union County we had 142 cancers, 10 percent of those were prostate cancers and 20 percent were lung cancers."

Roberts said this is large number of cancers, including prostate and lung cancers, is not just a problem for Union County, but also for other small communities where much of the population once worked in textile mills.

"We are starting to see a lot of communities like Union, Chesnee, and Inman where there used to be textile mills where we're seeing pockets of cancer," Roberts said.

Another factor in the development of these "pockets of cancer" is smoking.

"Smoking does have a correlation with cancers besides lung cancer," Roberts said. "It is a contributing factor to prostate cancer and other forms of cancer."

Roberts this is because cancer is often the result of environmental factors.

"It's environmental, breathing in the air in the mills as well as smoking," Roberts said. "Breathing in the chemicals from the products being made in the textile mills are a factor. There were a lot of things we didn't know then were risk factors that are causing the cancers to show up now."

Roberts pointed out that prostate cancer "typically develops in older men and African-American men," two groups that she said were "heavily employed in the mills." She said that prostate cancer is a problem now among those groups, a problem that she said could grow in the future which is why prostate screenings like the one Gibbs Cancer Center will be offering in Union are so important.

"Our intent is to hold a screening to catch the cancers at an earlier stage," Roberts said. "The earlier the stage the better the outcome.

"The early stages of cancer are Stage 1 and Stage 2 and they are the most treatable," she said. "Stage 3 and Stage 4 would be your late stages and they are less treatable with poorer outcomes."

Roberts said this is why Gibbs Cancer Center will be hold its free Prostate Screening at its Union office at 407 West South Street, Union on Monday, March 18 from 5:30-7 p.m. She said men who are interested in taking advantage of this free screening to learn whether or not they might be facing prostate cancer and get it treated as soon as possible should call the Gibbs Cancer Center at 864-560-6747. The Gibbs staff will be able to screen approximately 50 or so patients during the clinic.

Those registered to undergo the free prostate screening will be asked to fill out a form providing the clinic with information such as family history, if they have been screened before, if they have a primary care provider, and demographic information.

What happens if the screening turns up an abnormality? What would be the patient's next step?

"If you have an abnormal screening, you would need to see a urologist and have a biopsy," Roberts said. "From there a treatment plan would be put together."

Roberts added that any treatment plan would have to be tailored to the specific patient.

"There is no one size fits all treatment for any kind of cancer including prostate," Roberts said. "It's a very personalized approach based on the patient's needs."

What if the screening does not turn up an abnormality? What steps can the patient who underwent the screening -- or any other man for that matter -- do to reduce their chances of getting prostate cancer? Or any other cancer, as well.

"It is recommended you have an annual screening, all men, starting at age 40 through 70, should get an annual exam," Roberts said. "A discussion with your primary care physician is also recommended.

"Diet does have an impact," she said. "Obesity is a factor as is family history. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and less red meat or processed meat."

Roberts added that it is possible to get cancer even without a history of it in your family and so this makes a healthy lifestyle even more important.

"Eating right and staying a healthy weight can help prevent prostate cancer and other forms of cancer," Roberts said.

Is there anything else you can do to help prevent prostate, lung, and other cancers?

"Please don't smoke!" Roberts said.

Charles Warner can be reached at 864-762-4090.

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