Free prostate cancer screenings will be held at Monmouth Medical Sept. 19 Free prostate cancer screenings for men age 50 or older - and those younger who are at high risk for developing the disease - will be offered on Sept. 19 at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch. To be held in observance of national Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the screenings are open to men who are at least 50 years old, have never been diagnosed with prostate cancer or are not currently under the care of a urologist. Men between age 40 and 49 with a family history of prostate cancer or are African-American - two factors that place them at greater risk for developing prostate cancer - also are eligible. The screenings, which begin at 4 p.m., will be conducted by Monmouth Medical Center urologists and radiation oncologists who will perform testing that is instrumental in determining a man's prostate health. American Cancer Society (ACS) statistics show that the sooner prostate cancer is detected, the better the prognosis. While one in six men will develop prostate cancer during his lifetime, only one man in 34 will die of the disease. In fact, when the disease is found while still confined to the prostate, the five-year survival rate is 100 percent. This year, prostate cancer is estimated to be diagnosed in some 7,700 men in New Jersey and will claim the lives of 900 men in the state, according to the ACS. Since enrollment for the screenings is limited, early registration is encouraged. To sign up or find out whether you are eligible, call Monmouth Medical Center at (888) SBHS-123.