Cruisin' For A Cure: Come for the car show, stay for prostate cancer test

COSTA MESA, Calif. (KABC) -- While many men may ignore their health, they may not want to ignore a car show. That's the theory behind the Cruisin' For A Cure car show this weekend in Costa Mesa.

Thousands of specialty cars will be on display Saturday at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Thousands of men will come to see them. And while there, they can make sure they're not at risk for prostate cancer.

"We figure with having the guys here with their toys is the best way to get them in. So they get their free blood test and then we save lives every year," said event founder Debbie Baker.

The cars are the hook to get men in the riskiest age groups to get screened for the disease. The City of Hope will give free screenings all day while the cars are gleaming outside.

"Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Over 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States per year," said Dr. Timothy G. Wilson. "If you catch it early, it's an incredibly curable disease. It's a highly curable disease."

Medical personnel will be administering the blood screening, checking men's PSA levels. The results are mailed by a lab. Optionally, a physician can do a physical exam in the mobile clinic.

The blood test is very simple. It doesn't hurt much, and it only takes a couple of minutes. And on Saturday, the men who have been tested will be walking around with a bandage on their arm -- kind of a badge of honor.

But the real badges of honor are the light-blue shirts that are worn by prostate cancer survivors during the show. The number of them grows each year.

"We've tested over 10,000 men over the last 15 years and we've saved 3,500 men in the last 15 years," said Debbie Baker.

Scott Couchman is a car enthusiast from Irvine -- and also a survivor. He now volunteers at the screening booth to help his fellow men get tested.

"I call prostate cancer the 'car club cancer' because that's who gets it: Guys in car clubs. It's men in their 50s and 60s," said Couchman. "So from a demographic standpoint, this is a perfect match."

So if you know a guy who's a little reluctant to look after his health, tell him you're taking him to a great place to scope out some awesome cars. He can then take a quick break to get the test done. For many guys, that's a much less scary place than the doctor's office.

"And I get letters all year long saying 'Thank you for saving my husband,'" said Baker.

For more information, visit www.cruisinforacure.com