Teaming Up for Prostate Health and Cancer Awareness

Jason Avant and Dr. Leonard Gomella

Jason Avant and Dr. Leonard Gomella

A few years ago, I was attending a Philadelphia Eagles game with my father, when he leaned over and asked me some questions I hadn’t expected.

“Do you have a doctor you go to every year for an annual physical?”

Yes.

“Did he check your prostate?”

Honestly, that one made me more than a little uncomfortable – and not just because I didn’t want to discuss my prostate health with my father let alone 67,594 screaming football fans.

Despite my discomfort, my dad raised a good question that all men – and the women and family members who love them – should be aware of once we reach a certain age.

So guys, it’s time to move past our discomfort about talking and acting on issues related to our prostates.

And that’s why, Jefferson University Hospitals has again teamed up with the Eagles to educate fans and others about prostate health and to raise cancer awareness.

While prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men with some 220,000 new cases diagnosed each year, it’s important to remember there are many causes of prostate problems. Those include infections, inflammation and an enlarged prostate.

Symptoms that you should have checked out by your healthcare provider include:

  • the inability to urinate
  • difficulty starting or stopping the stream of urine
  • urinary urgency and the need to rush to find a bathroom
  • blood in the urine
  • pain in the lower back, pelvis or upper thighs that does not go away

And don’t forget to talk with your doctor about screening for prostate cancer.

Jefferson’s Department of Urology is one of the oldest in the United States, with internationally recognized experts in all major fields of urology, including prostate health.

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