Readers Write: Men: don’t put off a prostate test

The Island Now

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month and is a time for men ages 40 and over to get tested. The test is called the Prostate-Specific-Antigen test, better known as the PSA  test.

Prostate Cancer is 99 percent curable when caught early. It is estimated by the American Cancer Society that in 2019 there will be 174,650 men diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, an increase of 6 percent over 2018.

And there will be an estimate of 31,620 deaths of this disease which is an increase of 7 percent over 2018.

Now I can attest to the value of getting tested. I had a physical four years ago by my doctor who is Dr. Doris Berland who discovered my PSA was on the high side. She then sent me to Advanced Urology in Manhasset and Dr. Gary Goldberg discovered I had an aggressive prostate cancer and required an aggressive surgery.

These doctors truly had saved my life. Now four years later my PSA is low and so far I am cancer-free and I am 70 years old. My advice to all men is get tested, for you will be glad that you did and your family will be glad you did as well.

Frederick R. Bedell Jr.

Mineola

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