Pocono, always a NASCAR test, will also offer a prostate exam next week

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Are they putting the poke in Pocono?

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No they’re not, and this is one of those occasions where giving some blood is a welcomed alternative. As a bonus, they might just save your life — or your dad’s, your uncle’s or some other guy you want staying healthy.

Call it one of the more unique sponsor activations in auto racing: Next Saturday-Sunday (June 13-14) at NASCAR’s visit to Pocono Raceway, a non-profit called Man Cave Health will be offering free PSA prostate-screening tests, which involves the drawing of a small amount of blood and not that other, ahem, more invasive prostate exam.

Michael McDowell, Cup Series racer and former Daytona 500 champ, will make an appearance at the set-up next Saturday morning, and we assume it’s a sponsor-partnership agreement and not because he’s into phlebotomy.

In all seriousness, you’re practically guaranteed to survive prostate cancer, more so than any other cancer … If you catch it early. And a PSA test is an easy way to do that. Health studies suggest one in eight men will get prostate cancer during their lifetimes.

Yes, a doctor’s physical exam is the ultimate screening, but that would be a tough sell at an otherwise enjoyable race weekend. Similar to the at-home Cologuard test versus a colonoscopy (considered the “gold standard” of colon inspection for cancer), the PSA is a recognized alternative. 

Some quick details …

  • PSA stands for Prostate-Specific Antigen. The lower the number on your test results, the better, though to state the obvious for legal purposes: A low number doesn’t guarantee an absence of prostate cancer while a higher number doesn’t guarantee the presence. But the test has been around since the 1980s, so you assume it’s effective.
  •  Man Cave Health, according to its own literature, “is a pioneering nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the way men approach their health. With a focus on prostate cancer awareness, education and early detection, we provide men with the vital resources and support they need to take charge of their well-being.”

— Email Ken Willis at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Pocono NASCAR visit to include PSA prostate screenings. Strap up!

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