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Free prostate cancer screenings, hosted by the Levine Cancer Institute, will be available at the John P. Murray Community Care Clinic from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday.

One of the leading causes of death in men, prostate cancer is the third most common cancer in North Carolina behind only breast and lung, said Meera Bakthameera, cancer program development specialist with the Levine Cancer Institute. She provides free cancer education and screenings to citizens in Cabarrus and Stanly counties.

Though dangerous, Bakthameera said that when detected early, the survival rate is high.

The screenings will be available for men who are uninsured and at high-risk. This includes: Men between the ages of 40 to 70 who have a father, brother or son with prostate cancer; Black men between the ages of 40 to 70; and men with certain high-risk jobs like veterans, firefighters and farmers.

Each screening will be relatively quick and consist of blood tests to check each man’s PSA level. PSA stands for Prostate-specific antigen and is a protein produced by normal and malignant cells of the prostate gland, according to the National Cancer Institute. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood.

Aside from checking PSA levels, the screenings include blood tests to check glucose, lipids and testosterone levels.

Even if men have had prostate screenings in the past, Bakthameera said it’s important to have annual cancer screenings to make sure they are healthy and cancer-free.

People interested can call 704-298-1576 or email Bakthameera.Kajendrakumar@atriumhealth.org.