TIFTON — Tift Regional Medical Center will hold free prostate cancer screenings in September in Tifton, Nashville, Adel and Sylvester in honor of National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

"Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, other than skin cancers, in American men," said Chris Efaw, TRMC director of outreach and development. "The American Cancer Society estimates that during 2008 about 186,320 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. The good news is that since the use of early detection tests for prostate cancer became fairly common around 1990, the prostate cancer death rate has dropped."

Men over age 50 are encouraged to participate in the free screenings. Men at high risk should start testing at age 45. Those who are at high risk include African American men and men who have a first-degree relative (father, brother, or son) diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age (younger than age 65).

Those who should not participate are men who have had a previous prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level in the blood of less than or equal to one within in the past three years; men who have had a normal PSA within the last year; and, men who have been previously diagnosed with prostate cancer (see your physician routinely).

Registration is required for all screenings and appointment slots are limited.

The schedules for the free screenings and the contact numbers for appointments are listed below.

• ADEL - 9 until 11 a.m. Sept. 13 at the office of family physician Dr. Rodney Tyson, 103 James Ave. Call 229-686-6979.

• NASHVILLE - 4 until 6 p.m. Sept. 15 at HealthPlus, 205 Dogwood Drive. Examinations will be performed by urologist Dr. Greg Anderson. Call 229-686-6979.

• TIFTON - 9 until 11 a.m. Sept. 20 at the TRMC Oncology Center, 1623 Madison Ave. Examinations will be performed by urologist Dr. Greg Anderson, oncologist Dr. James Milner and oncologist Dr. Wesley Walker. Call 229-386-1300.

• SYLVESTER - 4:30 until 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at HealthPlus, 1010 West Franklin St. Examinations will be performed by urologist Dr. Jeff Peters and family physician Dr. Louise Wilder. Call 229-776-3500.

All screenings are sponsored by Tift Regional Medical Center's Community Spirit program.