ATLANTA - It is a startling statistic. 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
The Morehouse School of Medicine wants to improve those statistics. That is one of the reasons they offered a free prostate screening at the King Center today.
Dexter Scott King's untimely death really hit home for a lot of people, particularly here in Atlanta.
That is why the Morehouse School of Medicine brought their prostate screening to the King Center.
More than 80 men stopped by the Martin Luther King Jr. Center as of 4:30p Friday to roll up their sleeve and take agency over their health as it relates to prostate cancer.
A disease that doctors say is 100% curable when detected early.
"The high rate of prostate cancer with older black men. It was free, convenient and quick, so I decided to come by, Ira James told FOX 5.
"My father passed away from prostate cancer sometime ago, so I thought I'd better get myself checked," Pasha Ama reflected.
The Morehouse School of Medicine Prostate Cancer Precision Prevention Program involves a quick blood draw. The results are back in two weeks.
Scientists say the simple test can save lives.
"Prostate cancer is associated with age. For Black men we know that they are much more likely to be diagnosed younger in their 40s and 50s and their disease is much more aggressive period they are 2.5 times more likely to die from the disease," Dr. Leanne Burnham of Morehouse School of Medicine shared.
The recent prostate cancer death of Dr. King's youngest son, Dexter King, motivated many.
"The fact that we lost Dexter King, it made me think I'll be 61 this year and I had never done it. I encourage all the brothers out there to get it done," Gary Nelson said eagerly.
Morehouse School of Medicine screened 500 men in 2023 and hope to make contact with even more this year.