Prevention, Risk and Screening »Community Education and Screening »Prostate Cancer Screenings

Fox Chase Cancer Center's mission is to reduce the burden of human cancer through the highest-quality programs in research and patient care, including cancer prevention, treatment, early detection and education. We are partners with many organizations, religious institutions and health ministries in the Philadelphia area. These partnerships enhance efforts to reach a large community audience where our trained staff can provide educational and screening programs.

Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment Program (PRAP)

A Special Program for Men at Increased Risk of Prostate Cancer

PRAP offers education, risk assessment, screening and an opportunity to participate in innovative prostate cancer research to men who are at an increased risk of the disease because of their family history or their race. Learn More

Advanced Screening Tools Lead to Accurate Diagnosis

Fox Chase uses the most advanced screening tools to diagnose prostate cancer as accurately as possible. Some prostate cancers may be found because of symptoms, such as slowing or weakening of the urinary stream or the need to urinate more often. These symptoms can also be caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or enlarged prostate. Most early prostate cancers cause no symptoms and are found early by screening tests.

Cancer of the prostate gland has become a major challenge. Now the leading cause of cancer in this country, the rate has increased 173% since the early 1970s. This dramatic rise in prostate cancer rates is due partly to improvements in early detection and partly to longer lifespans among men today. More than 80% of prostate cancers develop after age 65. However, much younger men can also develop prostate cancer, which may be more aggressive at younger ages. Improvements in surgery, radiation therapy and follow-up chemotherapy are boosting cure rates, but early detection is important for cure. African American men have the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world-66% higher than for white men. Since this cancer is relatively rare among blacks in Africa and other countries, racial heredity does not account for black Americans' increased risk. Possible risk factors being studied include dietary patterns, occupational exposure to industrial chemicals or pesticides and other environmental exposures to cancer-causing agents.

Mobile Outreach Program

You can make prostate cancer awareness and screening part of your next corporate, church, or school event. Using your own facilities, or bringing our mobile screening van, screening and education can be done quickly, reaching people who might not realize the risk. Our van is the only one of its kind in the Philadelphia region. The entire technical staff, including radiologists, are based out of Fox Chase Cancer Center and all equipment is licensed by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and is accredited by the American College of Radiology.