The Hartford HealthCare Tallwood Urology & Kidney Institute and ZERO Prostate are once again partnering to offer the ZERO Prostate Run/Walk to raise money for the millions of American men and their families who will battle the disease this year.
The race is always set in June, which is Men’s Health Month. This year’s event will step off on Sunday, June 9, at 9 a.m., from Dunkin Donuts Park, 1214 Main St., Hartford. Participants can run or walk the 5K. A kid’s dash will take off at 10:15 a.m. A virtual option is also available for those who cannot make it in person.
Funds raised through the ZERO Prostate race support:
- Educational programs for the public
- Free prostate screening tests
- Prostate cancer research
“Prostate cancer is the number one diagnosed cancer in men,” says John Graham Jr., MD, a Tallwood urologic surgeon in Fairfield County. “Events such as ZERO bring awareness to the forefront and start conversations about the importance of screening and early diagnosis.”
Prostate cancer does not have many symptoms, which is why annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is so important.
“I start the PSA discussion with men over the age of 40. Men don’t love going to the doctor, so going every two years is easy to forget. I encourage them to be seen annually and then we’ll talk about your general health,” Dr. Graham notes.
New technology improves treatments for prostate cancer
The one piece of good news about prostate cancer is that there are new treatments that use technology like high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to treat cancer while protecting healthy tissue.
“We can treat in well-selected patients a specific area of the prostate with the goals of curing or controlling the cancer while minimizing side effects,” Dr. Graham explains.
HIFU is a minimally invasive ambulatory procedure where patients go home the same day.
Focused on men’s health
Hosting ZERO Prostate reflects the commitment Tallwood made to the men of Connecticut four years ago when the institute opened the doors of its first Tallwood Men’s Health center in Farmington.
“Patients at Tallwood receive the highest level of collaborative care from experts across the state,” Dr. Graham says. “We hold formalized multidisciplinary discussions to formulate treatment plans that will offer the highest level of value to the patient.”
To register for the ZERO Prostate race or support runners and walkers, go HERE.
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