One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime – and one in 39 will die from it. Prostate cancer is second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer in American men and second only to lung cancer as the leading cancer-based cause of death in American men. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the U.S. during 2016, about 180,890 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and 26,120 men will die from it.

But there’s still good news. If prostate cancer is caught early, the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%. The numbers say it all: Get tested!  Prostate cancer is rare before age 40, so if you are 40 or older, the first step is a free, simple PSA screening that only requires a blood sample. “PSA” stands for prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by prostate cells. The PSA test is done to help diagnose and follow prostate cancer in men.  No certain PSA level is called normal or abnormal, and an elevated level does not mean you have prostate cancer – only a biopsy can diagnose cancer. Always discuss PSA test results with your doctor and be sure to have a digital rectal exam (DRE), as about 6% of men with prostate cancer continue to have normal PSA.

In 2004, Rockford-based Nisus Corporation, a manufacturer of green products for the pest control and wood preservation industries, teamed up with area hospitals and MEDIC Regional Blood Center to create Eddie Check, an annual event that adds free PSA screening for prostate cancer to blood drives. It was a simple strategy using MEDIC's already existing resources to make it fast and easy for men to get a blood sample drawn for the screening. Nisus has a personal stake in the fight; marketing vice president Jim Gorman is a prostate cancer survivor, while company president Kevin L. Kirkland lost his father, Eddie Kirkland, to the disease. In fact, “Eddie Check” is named for Eddie Kirkland.

2016 Event Schedule

Thursday, September 15

• MEDIC Headquarters 1601 Ailor Ave., Knoxville 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Phil Williams News/Talk 98.7 FM remote, 6:00-10:00 a.m.; Sports Talk Radio WNML remote, 3:00-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• MEDIC Donor Center-Farragut 11000 Kingston Pike (behind Pittsburgh Paints), 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• MEDIC Donor Center-Crossville 79 South Main St (across from the Palace Theater), 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.(CDT)
  
  
• Provision Center for Proton Therapy 6450 Provision Cares Way, Knoxville (Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Gunner WIVK FM remote, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; Hallerin Hill News/Talk 98.7 FM remote, 3:00-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Walmart-Oneida 19740 Alberta St. (Bloodmobile), 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Books-A-Million -Oak Ridge 310 S. Illinois Ave. (Bloodmobile), 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Walmart-Morristown 475 S. Davy Crockett Pkwy. (Bloodmobile), 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  
  
• Walmart-Lenoir City 911 Highway 321 N. (Bloodmobile), 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
  
  

Friday, September 16

• MEDIC Headquarters 1601 Ailor Ave., Knoxville, 8:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
  
  
• MEDIC Donor Center-Farragut 11000 Kingston Pike (behind Pittsburgh Paints), 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  
  
• MEDIC Donor Center-Crossville 79 South Main St, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.(CDT)
  
  
• Provision Center for Proton Therapy 6450 Provision Cares Way, Knoxville (Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Phil Williams News/Talk 98.7 FM remote, 6:00-10:00 a.m.
  
  
• New Midland Plaza -Alcoa 232 S. Calderwood St.(Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Gunner WIVK FM remote, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  
  
• Walmart-Newport 1075 Cosby Hwy. (Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  
  
• Lowe’s-Athens 1751 South Congress Pkwy.(Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
  
  
• Lowe’s-Harriman 1800 Roane State Hwy. (Bloodmobile), 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.