Center for Urology in Batavia is major sponsor of Prostate Walk and Health Fair
Information provided by Patrick Fisher, event organizer for Us TOO Rochester:
The Center for Urology in Batavia, a practice of seven urologists in the city, is one of this year's major sponsors of the fifth annual Prostate Cancer Walk and Health Fair on Sunday, Sept. 15 inside The Mall at Greece Ridge.
Us TOO Rochester hosts the event, which is its primary fundraiser and proceeds benefit local patient programs. It is the regional affiliate chapter of Us TOO International, a nonprofit 501c3 organization providing patient support, education and advocacy for those affected by prostate cancer in Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region.
Registration for Sunday's Walk and Health Fair is $30 at the door and includes an event T-shirt while supplies last. All are welcome.
Online registration is only $20 and the last day to register online is Sept. 12. Click here to register online.
On-site registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and the final lap begins at 10 a.m.
Children age 13 and under are admitted free.
This is a family fun event that includes: prize drawings worth hundreds of dollars; DJ Blaze as Master of Ceremony; a collection of classic cars displayed by Street Machines of Rochester; entertainment by mascots for Rochester Red Wings (Spikes) and Amerks (Moose); face painting by Freckles; a performance by Oasis Senior Tappers; free Dunkin’ Donuts (The Luis Ribeiro Group); free Gloria Jean’s Coffee (Rumit Patel, Mgr.); and cookies by Kiss Me Cookie in Webster.
See the '10-foot-tall Enlarged Prostate'
Among the sights will be the region's largest “enlarged prostate” -- a 10-foot-tall educational tool that informs you about how prostate cancer develops and spreads when left untreated.
In addition to educational exhibits, UR Medicine Labs and Urology will conduct free PSA screening on site for qualified men who have no medical insurance.
Ample parking is available at the mall near door #8. For full details about the walk and fundraiser, visit here.
The Mall at Greece Ridge is located at 271 Greece Ridge Center Drive in Greece.
The annual Prostate Cancer Walk and Health Fair is held in September because it is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. The disease is the most common non-skin cancer in American men, and the leading cause of cancer death in men second only to lung cancer.
The National Cancer Institute reports that 29,430 men in the United States will die from prostate cancer annually. More than 16,000 men in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region are diagnosed with the disease that left untreated may affect other organs or lead to bone cancer and death.
According to the NYS Department of Health, every year another 42 men from Batavia and Genesee County will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.
African-American men are at even greater risk and from an earlier age than their caucasian counterpart. However, not only men suffer. This cancer has the potential to affect spouses, significant others and relationships in meaningful ways, too.
No Early Warning Signs
While medical research has advanced how prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated, there are no early warning signs. The same BRCA2 gene that contributes to breast cancer in women, may also contribute to prostate cancer in men. Men who have a sister or mother known to have BRCA2 may benefit by being screened for prostate cancer.
Yet, the best outcomes begin with an early diagnosis. This makes it very important that men routinely talk with their provider about being screened for prostate cancer especially as they age.
Batavia's Dr. Anees Fazili, one of the urologists with the local Center for Urology, says he was honored to have helped bring a new exciting procedure to Western New York for the treatment of prostate cancer called High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU). It reduces some of the usual risks of treatment associated with this disease.
"At Rochester Regional Health we also just purchased the 'FocalOne' HIFU device, which is truly revolutionary and allows for same day focal therapy of prostate cancer, and we are one of only a handful of centers in the entire country offering this amazing treatment option," Fazili wrote in an email to The Batavian.
He operates out of both United Memorial Medical Center and Medina Memorial Hospital, and is working on starting an Us TOO chapter for Genesee County.
A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming, but the process for men to learn what they need to know in order to make informed decisions is a daunting task that typically requires many sleepless nights and weeks spent conducting research or getting second and third medical opinions.
Us TOO is a good resource for help and information.
Their monthly meetings provide a safe environment where men and their care givers may share about their experience or learn from others regarding current options.
