peter mansbridge talks prostate cancer awareness, regular testing and the odds facing canadian men

this september, more than 120 landmarks across canada are lighting up blue, in support of prostate cancer awareness. prostate cancer foundation canada says they hope this will help spark a national conversation around why so many men in canada are putting off getting tested.

convincing men to seek out testing for prostate cancer

prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer and the third-leading cause of cancer death among men in canada, according to the canadian cancer society . each year, approximately 24,600 canadians are diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 4,600 will die from the disease. this breaks down to 1 in 8 canadian men will developing prostate cancer during their lifetime, while 1 in 29 will die from it.

prostate cancer is highly treatable if caught early, with the survival rate holding at 99-100 percent if caught in the first few stages, before the cancer has spread to distant areas of the body. at stage four, however, where the cancer has spread to other organs, the five-year survival rate drops to 41 per cent.

what is a prostate cancer test?

prostate cancer screening is mainly done through a blood test, called the prostate-specific antigen (psa) test . this test measures blood levels of prostate-specific antigen , a hormone released by the prostate. sudden spikes in levels of psa could indicate inflammation, injury, or cancer.

the canadian task force on preventive health care caused considerable controversy in 2014, when they published guidelines recommending against using a psa tests for prostate cancer screening. these guidelines pointed to the risk of false positive results, which they said could lead to unnecessary biopsies and over-treatment. since those recommendations were released, however, prostate cancer foundation canada says there was an increase in metastatic — and potentially deadlier — prostate cancer cases.

in 2022, the canadian urological association affirmed their support of the psa test, recommending men start psa testing when they turn 50, and starting at 45 for men who are at a greater risk of the cancer (risk factors include being of african or caribbean ancestry , or having a family history of breast, ovarian or prostate cancer). from there, testing is recommended every 1-4 years, depending on psa levels.

all provinces and territories in canada, except for ontario and british columbia, cover the costs of a psa test. in ontario, if there are no symptoms of prostate cancer, the cost of a psa test is $35, while in b.c. it’s $37. the canadian cancer society is advocating to improve access to psa tests in ontario and b.c.

lariviere says in the future, she hopes prostate cancer screening will be part of a “self-referral” program, where men would be invited to book a screening appointment without needing a referral from a primary care provider. such programs have been shown to increase breast cancer screening and survival rates in jurisdictions where they are employed.