The fact that one in seven Albertan men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime is terrifying. Add men’s often reluctance to speak about their health, however true, to the stigma around prostate testing, it’s no wonder the rate of diagnosis is so high.
But prostate cancer is a rather treatable disease if detected early. And the Man Van will be in Drumheller again on June 18 to help, at the Royal Tyrrell Museum parking lot from 12-3 p.m. the day before Father’s Day.
The rural Man Van will be touring southern Alberta again this year and provides an easy and glove-free way for men over 40 to get tested.
“We’re there to have fun,” said Man Van spokesman Ken Rabb. “There’s big leather chairs and televisions. We want guys to come in and tell us a joke and we’ll tell them one. It’s relaxed, comfortable, and we’re just glad to have guys that are taking charge of their health.”
Visitors will be given a free Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which only requires a teaspoon-sized sample of blood to test for higher than recommended levels of the antigen in the bloodstream. Results are given in about a week via phone after tests are run at Rocky View Hospital in Calgary.
“It doesn’t diagnose prostate cancer but it is an indicator,” said Rabb, adding that people over 50 are recommended to be tested every year.
“We try not to replace a doctor. We still encourage men to get tested and regularly visit their doctor. Our number one goal is to be an awareness campaign, but we are also there to make it easy for guys to get tested.”
Drumheller visitors will be greeted by Martin, a prostate cancer survivor and a believer that PSA testing saved his life.
The Man Van has tested over 27,000 men since it started in 2009 in Calgary. It is the only mobile PSA testing program in Canada. In 2013 they added a second van to visit rural locations.
