MEDICAL NEWS

Fall is the season for preventative screenings

This is the time of year when we traditionally focus on two common health issues, prostate cancer and peripheral artery disease.

According to the American Cancer Society, other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In 2021, about one man in eight will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer is more likely to develop in older men and non-Hispanic black men. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. Prostate cancer can be a serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, more than 3.1 million men in the United States who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive today. Early diagnosis and treatment are the keys.

Russell Medical will host a prostate screening on

Medical News Friday, Sept. 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This quick and easy screening consists of a prostate-specific antigen blood test and a physician exam by Dr. Lancing Patterson, UAB Medicine urologist. The screening will be held in The Urology Clinic, Suite 100 of the Professional Building at Russell Medical. The cost is $10. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Community Relations at 256-329-7145. Peripheral artery disease is another common ailment seen often around Lake Martin. Dr. Regina Phillips, medical director for Russell’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center sees patients with peripheral artery disease frequently. Peripheral artery

Susan Foy disease is a condition that develops when the arteries that supply blood to the internal organs, arms and legs become completely or partially blocked as a result of atherosclerosis. PAD affects between eight and 12 million people in the U.S. Though the symptoms may be serious, an astonishing 40 percent of people with PAD do not experience any symptoms. Phillips and her staff treat chronic wounds with underlying conditions of the disease, as well as perform non-invasive tests for PAD and counsel patients on how to manage an illness that, if left untreated, could lead to lower limb amputation and death. For more

information on managing PAD and treating chronic or infected wounds, callt the Wound Care team at 256-215-7450 or visit them at 55 Alison Drive.

A few updates related to the current uptick in COVID-19 cases: (1) All COVID-19 testing has been relocated to The Mill Two-Eighty, on the northeast corner of the Russell Medical campus. This drive-thru service is available seven days per week throughout the month of September; (2) The vaccine clinic has been moved to Total Fitness Rehabilitation Center. Please call 256-329-7138 for an appointment; and (3) Visitation in the hospital is now limited to one visitor per patient.

For current updates on services related to COVID-19, follow us on Facebook or visit our website at russellcares.com.

Stay in the Know

Patient ankle brachial index test measures for peripheral artery disease.

~Susan Foy is the director of marketing at Russell Medical.

In addition to chronic wounds on the toes, feet or legs, Dr. Regina Phillips notes the following risk factors and symptoms of PAD: • Those who smoke or have a history of smoking have up to four times greater risk. • One in every three diabetics over the age of 50 is likely to have the disease. • People with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or a personal history of vascular disease, heart attack, or stroke are at greater risk. • As you get older the risk increases since the disease develops gradually. • While some people dismiss it as a sign of aging, nearly everyone with PAD is unable to walk as fast or as far as they could before. • A typical sign is experiencing fatigue or heaviness in the limbs or cramping in the thigh or calf after walking or climbing stairs and then feeling better after resting. • Leg or foot pain may cause trouble sleeping for those with PAD. • The skin of the feet may change color and become pale or turn blue. • Toenails that do not grow as well as before and decreased hair growth on the toes and legs may be another symptom. • Advanced PAD results in delayed wound healing and a greater risk for limb loss. Timely detection and treatment of any wound can reduce the risk of amputation and improve quality of life.

Russell Medical’s Wound Care Center offers advanced wound care treatment, technology and research. That means patients heal faster than those who receive only generalized wound care. Chronic, non-healing wounds need advanced wound care.