Category Archives: Mens Health

Somerset Medical Center?s Steeplechase Cancer Center Offers State-of-the-Art Lung Cancer Screening at Reduced Cost

Posted by on January 11, 2012 1 comment

Somerset Medical Center’s Steeplechase Cancer Center Offers State-of-the-Art Lung Cancer Screening at Reduced Cost










Somerville, N.J. (PRWEB) January 10, 2012

Somerset Medical Center has announced the launch of a specialized Lung Cancer Screening Center that is dedicated to early diagnosis of various lung cancers by utilizing the latest technology and following protocols associated with recently released clinical findings that point to better, more effective diagnostic screenings.

“Because early detection of lung cancer has been so difficult, it has traditionally been one of the more difficult cancers to successfully treat,” commented Jean-Phillipe Bocage, MD, chair of the Lung Cancer Institute at Somerset Medical Center’s Steeplechase Cancer Center. “Recent studies show that lung cancer can be detected at its very earliest stage in 85 percent of patients using annual low-radiation-dose CT screening. When followed by prompt surgical removal, the 10-year survival rate is 92 percent.”

Because this finding is so potentially important to the people of Central New Jersey, The Lung Cancer Institute at the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Somerset Medical Center will offer low-dose CT scanning for the early evaluation of people who are at an elevated risk for lung cancer – current or former smokers between 55-74 years old with 30 or more “pack years” (number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day multiplied by the number of years smoked). These screenings will be initially offered at a specially-discounted rate of $ 99, subsidized by Somerset Medical Center. In addition to the CT scan, patients will undergo spirometry testing to measure the flow and volume of air entering and leaving the lungs, have a follow-up consultation at the Steeplechase Cancer Center and a consultation with a smoking cessation specialist at the center’s Tobacco Quitcenter.

“Smoking is by far the number one vector associated with lung cancer,” said Dr. Bocage. “However, living in Central New Jersey also presents a number of environmental factors, like pollution and radon exposure, which can have a demonstrable impact on the onset of lung cancer.”

Dr. Bocage notes that the new study, recently reported in New England Journal of Medicine, could help to dramatically decrease the number of deaths annually from lung cancer – the number one cause of cancer deaths among both men and women in the U.S. The study was launched by a team of researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in 1993, and was later expanded into an international collaboration of 38 institutions in 7 countries. It is the largest, long-term study ever done to determine the usefulness of annual screening by CT.

Stage I lung cancer is the only stage at which cure by surgery is highly likely. While survival rates have been climbing for other forms of cancer, the survival rates for lung cancer have remained stubbornly static. Approximately 95 percent of the 173,000 people diagnosed each year die from the disease – more than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. The high death rates are a consequence of lung cancer not being detected early enough for treatment to be curative.

“This study provides compelling evidence that CT screening for lung cancer could dramatically reverse lung cancer death rates,” said Dr. Bocage. “It is so compelling that the Steeplechase Cancer Center wants to make this potentially life-saving test available to all at-risk people in Central New Jersey.”

“Our mission is to continuously provide the highest quality of care to the people of our community,” said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, medical director of the Steeplechase Cancer Center. “Providing low-dose CT scans at reduced costs for those at the greatest risk of lung cancer is one way we can make a strong impact on health in our community. Over time, we believe that CT scans will do for lung cancer survival rates what mammograms have done for breast cancer survival.”

Somerset Medical Center has recently formed a multidisciplinary team focused on improving outcomes for lung cancer patients treated at its Steeplechase Cancer Center. The team brings together pulmonologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, nurses and staff from the medical center’s Tobacco Quitcenter. The team’s unique and comprehensive approach offers lung cancer patients a wide range of services, including a lung cancer patient navigator, video-assisted thoracic surgery, radiation oncology, access to clinical trials and a smoking cessation program.

For more information about low-dose CT screening for the early detection of lung cancer, visit http://www.steeplechasecancercenter.com/lung or call Somerset Medical Center’s Lung Clinic at (908)-927-8778.

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Sperm Count May be Good Predictor of Men?s Overall Health, from the Harvard Men?s Health Watch

Posted by on September 11, 2011 1 comment

Sperm Count May be Good Predictor of Men’s Overall Health, from the Harvard Men’s Health Watch











(PRWEB) August 10, 2011

Is poor semen quality a new longevity risk factor? Normally, a doctor looking for a snapshot of a patient’s health will ask about smoking, drinking, diet, and exercise and then measure cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight or waist size. These facts and numbers already enable doctors to predict long-term health and longevity, but scientists are always looking for additional measurements that can predict survival. According to an article in the August 2011 Harvard Men’s Health Watch, new Danish research may have pinpointed an unlikely health predictor, at least for men: semen quality.

Between 1963 and 2001, the Copenhagen Sperm Analysis Laboratory performed semen analyses on 51,543 men, most of whom were referred because they or their partners had concerns about fertility. The results showed a clear link between semen quality and the rate of death. As the number of sperm increased up to a threshold of 40 million per milliliter of semen, the mortality rate declined steadily; the men with the highest sperm counts enjoyed a mortality rate 43% lower than the men with the lowest counts.

The apparent protective effect of high semen quality extended to a broad range of diseases, suggesting that specific lifestyle factors do not explain the findings. Instead, the Danish scientists postulate that semen quality may be a reliable biomarker of overall health and life expectancy.

Many insurance companies ask men to have physical exams and submit blood and urine samples before they issue life insurance. Will they now ask for semen samples as well? Not anytime soon.

More research is needed to confirm a link between semen quality and life expectancy. Although the Danish study is large and is based on 38 years of mortality data, additional research should include information about factors that may affect both sperm quality and life expectancy, including age, exposure to insecticides and toxins, tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, and hormone levels.

If nothing else, the Danish research is likely to spur new studies of semen quality, health, and survival. It’s an interesting and important area in its own right, and it may have broader implications.

The Danish investigation examined only individual mortality rates, which is no small issue. But since some studies raise the possibility that semen quality has declined over time, the research may have implications beyond the life expectancy of an individual man.

Read the full-length article: “Medical memo: Semen quality and survival”

Also in this issue:


    Our lead story: The crucial, controversial carotid artery
    Summer health tips
    Tips for meeting dietary guidelines

The Harvard Men’s Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $ 28 per year. Subscribe at http://www.health.harvard.edu/mens or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).

Media: Contact Raquel Schott at Raquel_Schott(at)hms(dot)harvard(dot)edu for a complimentary copy of the newsletter, or to receive our press releases directly.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.







Request A Test Offers New, Discounted Men?s Health Panel for Men?s Health Month

Posted by on June 27, 2011 1 comment

Request A Test Offers New, Discounted Men’s Health Panel for Men’s Health Month











Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) June 09, 2011

In honor of Men’s Health Month, Request A Test, Ltd., a privately held business offering direct-to-consumer lab screenings, is offering a new, discounted Men’s Health Panel that covers seven basic tests in a package specifically designed to monitor a man’s health and wellbeing.

Each June, Men’s Health Month is celebrated across the country with health fairs, screenings, media appearances and outreach activities. Anchored by a congressional health education program, Men’s Health Month was conceived to raise the awareness of preventable health problems through the encouragement of early detection and treatment of disease in men.

In support of Men’s Health Month, Request A Test has created a comprehensive men’s testing package covering a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA), Testosterone Total, Lipid Panel, Glucose, Vitamin D-25 Hydroxy, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and a Quantitative and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). The test is offered at a deep discount with a quick turnaround time between one and three days.

“This month, in honor of Father’s Day, we are lowering the already discounted price of our Men’s Health Panel from $ 219 to $ 199,” says Noelle Perez, President of Request A Test. “That is a $ 124 discount from the cost of all the individual tests combined at our regular prices. Our Men’s Health Panel includes items from our very popular Know Your Numbers package as well as lab tests that are geared towards male health concerns like prostate and testosterone testing.”

Although the need for annual medical checkups varies depending on individual history, men do need to be on the lookout for certain conditions as they age. Men should have blood pressure, cholesterol and colorectal screenings regularly, as well as updated immunizations that fade over time. Additionally, screenings for prostate cancer, diabetes, skin cancer and testicular cancer may be advisable depending on lifestyle and family history.

To inquire about this news release or receive more information regarding Request A Test’s services, please call 1-888-732-2348 or visit their website.

About Request A Test

Request A Test is a nationwide lab testing service operating on the edict that knowledge is power. Committed to providing outstanding customer service, same-day testing, no hidden fees and an informative, easy to use website, Request A Test is partnered with two of the largest certified laboratories in the country to ensure clients receive affordable and precise information in a high quality, professional setting.

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Vocus©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.