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

it’s a simple blood test — so why are so many canadian men not getting tested for prostate cancer?

by emma jones

published sep 14, 2023

5 minute read

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5 minute read

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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. in support of the light up blue campaign, prostate cancer foundation canada (pcfc) has released results of research conducted with angus reid forum, which found that while 63 per cent of respondents said the men in their lives are aware of the benefits of getting tested for prostate cancer, 61 per cent say they procrastinate getting it done.

“it is one of those things where men are kind of resistant to the idea of getting tested,” peter mansbridge, host of the bridge and spokesperson with the campaign, tells healthing.

leah lariviere, the executive director of pcfc, explains she noticed a change in testing habits after the covid-19 pandemic. before the disruption, testing what part of a routine physical. now, many are waiting for symptoms before talking to a doctor, at which time the condition may have progressed significantly.

“before covid, it was sort of a regular routine for most men that they would get checked. their doctor would say you’re of the age or there’s a family history, or you’re genetically more susceptible to getting prostate cancer, so they would have a test,” says lariviere. “now covid comes along and everybody’s worried about about signs and symptoms — and, with prostate cancer, unless you’re way along, there aren’t early signs and symptoms.”

convincing men to seek out testing for prostate cancer

there is another reason why many don’t get tested as early as they should; 74 per cent of respondents to the angus reid poll also indicated anxiety about getting a positive result creates a mental barrier to getting it done.

“it’s a disease that that really hits men in the heart,” says lariviere, explaining that many of the symptoms of the condition — like incontinence and sexual disruption — strike at society’s entrenched definitions of masculinity. it’s also possibly why the poll indicates that in many families, it’s the wife who pushes her husband to get tested.

mansbridge also says it’s the projection of invincibility that many don’t go out and get tested.

“one of the things that has people feeling where they don’t need the testing is that one in eight figure. they go well, you know, one in eight — it’s not going to happen to me, so i don’t need to get tested,” he says. “… [but] the data that has come through, 23,000 canadian men are going to be diagnosed with prostate cancer. one out of 29 is not going to make it through that diagnosis, possibly because they’ve left it too late.”

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.

“those aren’t the greatest odds in the world, one in eight. so why take a chance?” asks mansbridge.

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.

“it’s about the number, how fast the numbers going up and how high it is,” explains lariviere.

a doctor may also recommend conducting a digital rectal exam, which can check for the presence of lumps or an inflamed prostate.

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.

“the likelihood is you’re going to be fine and just think how good you’re going to feel when you get that result now,” says mansbridge. “if you get the other result after regular testing, you’re going to know this is highly treatable, and [you] caught it early and will deal with it and move on.”

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.

readers interested in learning more, or looking to access resources, group and personal support can check out prostate cancer foundation canada.

emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.

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

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

it’s a simple blood test — so why are so many canadian men not getting tested for prostate cancer?

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