Beyond Blue fundraising event promotes prostate cancer awareness

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - It’s a big event that’s all about research for prostate cancer and awareness. We’re talking of course about the Mike Slive Foundation’s annual Beyond Blue fundraising event.

We spoke to Dr. Jeffrey Nix, associate professor in the UAB Department of Urology, about the importance of the event and prostate cancer awareness.

“It’s amazing. I mean, the organization started with Mike Slive and Anna now runs the organization now,” Dr. Nix said. “It already has a national footprint and only just a few years old, and already we’re doing tons of research, many of the grants that were awarded the first two years were given to UAB physicians. And this is really important stuff, and it is important because one in nine men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.”

The importance of going to get checked annually remains a reminder doctors, including Dr. Nix, stress.

“It’s also one of the most common causes of cancer death in men as well so it’s not just that men get diagnosed but men are still dying from prostate cancer in record numbers,” he said. “I think the kind of research we’re doing is very important because it could have an impact on men in this generation not just subsequent generation so diagnosis is really important to be done early, early screenings at 40 and get a PSA at 40. Talk to your doctor or primary care doctor or urologist.”

That’s what they do at the annual event, bringing awareness and raising money for research. You can watch the full interview with Dr. Nix above.

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