To raise awareness of the second most common form of cancer found in men, Lakeland will offer a free prostate cancer awareness seminar in St. Joseph and free prostate cancer screenings in St. Joseph and Niles.

At 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6, local urologist Benjamin Stockton, medical director of Robotics at Lakeland HealthCare and the area’s only fellowship-trained da Vinci robotics surgeon, will host a free discussion about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options for prostate cancer.

The event will be held in Rooms 5 and 6 of the Frederick S. Upton Education Center at Lakeland Regional Medical Center, 1234 Napier Ave., St. Joseph. His presentation will provide an overview of the disease and insight into the advantages of robotic surgery. Registration for the seminar is encouraged; walk-ins are welcome. For more information or to register, call (269) 556-2808 or (866) 260-7544.

Lakeside Urology will perform free prostate cancer screenings; no appointment is needed.

•  5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18, Lakeside Urology, 815 St. Joseph Dr., St. Joseph
•  5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 20, Lakeside Urology, Lakeland Medical Suites, 42 N. St. Joseph Ave., Niles

The screenings will include a digital rectal exam and a test to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood, which can often find prostate cancer early. The free PSA tests are being provided by Lakeland Laboratory. Because early prostate cancer has no symptoms, men over the age of 50, or men age 35 and older with a family history of prostate cancer, are encouraged to be screened.

Last year, 143 area men received the free prostate screenings. Of those, eight men were found to have elevated PSA levels.