September 4, 2007

SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at SIU Sponsors SIU Men’s

Night Out with Gale Sayers

Men’s health screenings and information will again be available at the fifth annual men’s health event, “SIU Men’s Night Out,” held in September.  Gale Sayers, former Chicago Bears running back and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is the featured guest.

Part of Prostate Cancer Awareness month, the program is presented by the Prostate Center of the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.  The men’s educational event begins at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 27, at Springfield High School, 101 S. Lewis St., Springfield.

Sayers, running back for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, was one of the few players to score touchdowns by rushing, receiving and kick returning all during one game, and the first to accomplish the feat three times.  In his six-year career, he played only 68 games, yet retired with a career game of 6,213 yards and left with six National Football League (NFL) records.  Those records include the all-time leading NFL scorer for a single season in 1965 with 22 touchdowns.  Sayers was honored as NFL Rookie of the Year in 1965 and enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility in 1977.

The program begins with a dinner and health information and screenings provided by various health care organizations.  Men attending can sign-up for prostate screenings and door prizes of autographed mini-footballs and grills.  All participants will receive a souvenir tee shirt.

The educational portion of the evening begins at 6:15 p.m.   Dr. Thomas Tarter, associate professor of urology and director of SIU’s Prostate Center, will be MC for the event.  Talks will be given by Dr. Stephen Hazelrigg, professor and chair of the cardiothoracic surgery division and director of SIU’s Lung Cancer Center, on screening for lung cancer, and by Dr. Imran Hassan, assistant professor of colorectal surgery, on screening for colorectal cancer.  The evening will end with Sayers talking about his football career.

Sponsors for SIU Men’s Night Out are Bank of Springfield, Memorial Medical Center, the SimmonsCooper Cancer Institute at SIU, SIU Physicians & Surgeons and St. John’s Hospital.

Prostate cancer strikes more than 220,000 men in the United States each year.  One man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.  Early detection and treatment is one of the best tools for treatment.  Screening that includes a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test combined with a prostate exam has led to cases being diagnosed earlier, often leading to a cure and increased survival.

To purchase a $10 ticket for SIU Men’s Night Out, men age 21 and older can call Carol at 217-545-7133 weekdays.  Credit card holders can order on-line at www.siumed.edu/cancer.

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