By Tim Bonfield
The Cincinnati Enquirer

In hopes of addressing continuing high death rates from prostate cancer among African-American men, the Barrett Cancer Center plans to announce today that it will offer free prostate cancer screening at a testing center in Jordan Crossing shopping center in Bond Hill.

The testing is co-sponsored by the Rev. Donald H. Jordan Sr., a prostate cancer survivor himself and pastor of the Allen Temple AME Church, which owns the shopping center through a foundation.

"I felt we need to have testing centers in the areas that are most greatly affected. And since we own the mall ...we can provide the facilities and they can provide the staff," Jordan said.

The testing center will be open Saturdays, starting in August, said Dr. William Barrett, director of radiation oncology at the Barrett Center. The screening center was announced during an annual symposium held by the University of Cincinnati to update professionals and interested citizens about the latest research about prostate cancer.

"African-American men have the highest mortality rate from prostate cancer, which appears to be related to lack of early detection," Dr. Barrett said. "When prostate cancer is diagnosed in its earliest stages, the cure rate for African-Americans is every bit as good as Caucasians."

The center hopes at least 500 men a year, ages 45 and up, will come in for blood tests.

Should a positive prostate test result occur, the center plans to refer people for biopsies to confirm the diagnosis and to help get treatment started.

The center also plans to teach people about diet changes and vitamins that can help prevent prostate cancer.

In Hamilton County, prostate cancer is the third most common form of cancer for men - after lung and colorectal cancer - and the second most common cause of cancer-related death - behind lung cancer.

Of 105 men who died of prostate cancer in 2000, 74 were Caucasian, 30 were African-American and one was of an unspecified race.

That means African-American men accounted for 28 percent of prostate cancer deaths when they represent about 22 percent of the male population of Hamilton County.

E-mail tbonfield@enquirer.com