Cancer foundations across Saskatchewan raise awareness for prostate cancer this September

Several Saskatchewan groups are working to raise awareness across the province about prostate cancer. Sierra D’Souza Butts has more.

With September marking Prostate Cancer Awareness month in Canada, several Saskatchewan groups are working to raise awareness across the province.

After years of going for regular Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests, Kent Stewart was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year.

“I was surprised actually, I hadn’t anticipated. It was somewhat of an incidental thing on how they discovered it,” Stewart said.

Now, he is speaking out and pushing for Saskatchewan men to learn if they could be at risk.

“Take your health into your own hands, mind your prostate,” Stewart said. “Do it for your own well-being, as well as those who love and care about you.”

On Wednesday, Prostate Cancer Support Regina kicked-off its campaign “A Little Goes a Long Way: Knowledge, Screening & Donations” in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness month at the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.

The initiative is in partnership with the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan.

“Many people don’t realize how common cancer is in general, but prostate cancer specifically for people with prostate in Saskatchewan,” explained chair James Froh.

One in eight Canadian men will face a diagnosis in their lifetime, but the probability for Saskatchewan men is even higher, seeing rates closer to one in six or seven men, according to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan.

Froh said because there was limited awareness about the disease when he was diagnosed in 2011, he is inspired to keep the conversation active.

“When I was diagnosed, there wasn’t an awareness campaign. There were precious few resources and information available to me,” he shared.

“I had to go find that information and it felt very hard to do it alone until I found the support group in Regina, which was like an oasis in the desert. It was great to find men that had been there and were able to help me in my journey.”

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Several research projects are on the horizon at Regina’s Allan Blair Cancer Centre that include comparing current treatments to other provinces, along with enrolling in international and national trials.

“Money that we raise through the Prostate Cancer Network support group and through the Prostate Cancer Awareness Month goes a long way in accomplishing that, not only present treatment, but for future treatment options,” Dr. Asim Amjad, radiation oncologist for the Allan Blair Cancer Centre, said.

Men are able to learn their risk factors through early PSA screenings as they are free and accessible to all in Saskatchewan.

People can show their support for the cause by wearing blue ribbons or lighting up their homes in blue all throughout September.

“Other things we do is we meet monthly at [the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency] on the second Thursday of every month in room 630, and the Prostate Cancer Support Group in Saskatoon meets the third Thursday of every month,” Froh said.

“We just encourage men, if they are affected, to come on out, bring their family and their friends. They’ll find a safe place where they can listen and ask questions, and find the answers for their needs.”

More details can be found on the group’s website.