McHenry Health Department Sets Prostate Cancer Screening

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) has set its next clinic to screen for the risk of prostate cancer.  Through a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the blood test is being offered, at no cost, to men aged 50 and over and those 40 years of age and over who are at higher risk due to family history. 

Appointments for this 15-minute test are being scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, from 4pm-7:30pm, at MCDH’s Crystal Lake location, 100 N Virginia Street (intersection of Route 14 and Woodstock Street).  Call 815-334-4536 to schedule an appointment.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of death, after lung cancer.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports informed decision making, which encourages men to talk with their doctors to learn the nature and risk of prostate cancer, understand the benefits and risks of the screening tests, and make decisions consistent with their preferences and values.  Risk factors for prostate cancer increase as you age and also include race (African American, Hispanic) and family history (greater risk if father, brother or son has had prostate cancer). 

Symptoms can be different for every man – pain or difficulty urinating, frequent urinating, blood in urine, pain in back/hips/pelvis that doesn’t go away; some men have no symptoms at all. Early education to reduce your risk includes eating healthy, exercising and quit smoking. 

For more information about prostate health, visit http://www.cdc.gov/Features/ProstateCancer/ or call MCDH at 815-334-4510.