FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. - University of Minnesota men's basketball coach Tubby Smith was out at the State Fair Tuesday to urge men to get a very important, possibly life-saving, screening.
He stopped by the big bus parked outside the Health Fair 11 building.
The bus belongs to Zero, the Project to End Prostate Cancer, and men can step inside to get a free PSA blood test and prostate exam.
According to Zero, one in six men will get prostate cancer. But if it's caught early, Zero says nearly 100 percent could survive.
Getting a free prostate exam isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when attending the State Fair, but there were a good number of men, many at the urging of their wives, waiting in line on Tuesday afternoon.
Smith was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year so that's why he's urging other men to be screened.
He said during his annual exam he had a PSA test, which measures prostate-specific antigen in the blood, and it showed his numbers were up. He says luckily his cancer was caught early. He had surgery in April.
So that's why I'm here, to get the word out and tell everybody get going, don't be afraid," Smith said. "I'm a living witness. I had the DaVinci done, robotic prostatectomy. I've been fine. It's been four months now and I have no effects, side effects, anything going on."
The prostate screening by Zero is free at the fair. No insurance card is needed.
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