News Release 
Date: July 18, 2011
Contact: Michele Fisher
Phone: 732-235-9872
E-mail: fisherm2@umdnj.edu
Free Prostate Cancer Screenings Offered
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Open Registration for Annual Fall Screening Event
New Brunswick, N.J. – In recognition of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and its flagship hospital Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) once again are teaming up to provide free prostate cancer screenings September 19, 20 and 21. CINJ is a Center of Excellence at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men other than skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. That is why CINJ and RWJUH join forces each year to educate men and their families about this disease through the annual screening event.
Some 2,200 men have been checked over the past five years alone. They receive a digital rectal exam and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, as well as prostate-specific literature, and have the opportunity to speak to a urologic oncologist from the Dean and Betty Gallo Prostate Cancer Center at CINJ. Spanish-speaking assistants also are on hand.
"This is our thirteenth year offering the screenings, and we have been quite fortunate to see it grow each year thanks to the support of local clergy and civic leaders who disseminate the information throughout the community," said Mariam Merced, director of RWJUH’s Community Health Promotion Program. "The participants themselves also play a large role in the event’s continued success, as we see many men return with friends and relatives the following year."
"Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in males, but if caught early can be successfully treated, if appropriate," said Thomas L. Jang, MD, MPH, urologic oncologist at CINJ, and assistant professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. In New Jersey it is estimated that 7,800 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, while 1,100 men will die from the disease. "With this quick and simple screening method, we hope that we can reduce that number by detecting potentially harmful cancers at an earlier and curable stage," added Dr. Jang.
Registration is now open for the screenings, which run from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. all three evenings at CINJ (195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick) and are open to all men 40 and older. Limited free parking will be available. While the screenings are free, an appointment is necessary and can be made by calling 1-888-MD-RWJUH. Additional information can be found at: http://www.cinj.org/prostatescreenings. This year’s event is co-sponsored by Panera Bread.
About The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support CINJ, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The CINJ Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Mountainside Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center and the principal hospital of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. RWJUH is the first hospital in the nation to implant the AbioCor self-contained artificial heart since the device received FDA approval in 2006. RWJUH is one of only three sites in the nation approved to offer this groundbreaking technology. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. RWJUH ranks among the best hospitals in America, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of "America’s Best Hospitals." It is the fourth consecutive year that RWJUH has achieved this prestigious ranking. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation's best comprehensive cancer centers. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a four-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.
### |
