Gordon Clay here. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. On September 6th at 6pm at the Chetco Library, the First Friday Salon will show "What every man should know about his prostate."

One in every six men will get prostate cancer. There will be over 2.8 million cases of prostate disease reported this year. For over 217,000 men, it will be prostate cancer.

Deaths from prostate cancer have consistently gone up since the American Cancer Society and others recommended against an automatic PSA test once a man turns 50. Over 32,000 men will die this year because they didn't get tested early enough. If you wait until you have symptoms, it might be too late, and it will surely limit your medical options. Prostate Cancer is nearly 100 percent survivable if detected early.

A husband, father, son, brother, grandfather, or friend dies every 17 minutes of every day from Prostate Cancer. Someone important to you may be affected. If they are a 40-75 year old male or over 35 and African American or their father or brother had Prostate Cancer, bring them to this open discussion on the topic. Don't let it be said, "He was too embarrassed or afraid to get tested."

"First Friday Salon" is a free evening to see and talk about documentaries that, most likely, would never show in the area. The series is sponsored by TheCitizensWhoCare.org whose main purpose is to "Give you something to think about." For more information on prostate cancer, visit www.pcaw.org.