Prostate Cancer Canada creates support groups for a variety of communities
By Rebecca von Goetz
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men. During a lifetime, one in seven Canadian men will be diagnosed with the disease. Within a decade, this number is expected to rise to one in four. If you’re a Black man, you’re at a much higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer — 65 per cent higher.
Several genes that put men at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer are found more predominately in Black men. There are also small differences in hormone levels like testosterone between races, which may predispose some groups to the disease.
“It’s important that all men take charge of their health,” says Peter Mallette, director, Prostate Cancer Canada (PCC) Atlantic Region. “Those with a family history of the disease or those of African or Caribbean descent, need to be vigilant. Men over the age of 40 should initiate the prostate cancer discussion with their doctor and ask about prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood testing.”
Dr. Tetteh Ago, chief of radiation oncology, QE 11 Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, expands on the specific need for testing in the Black community. “I think there is very little awareness in the Black community about prostate cancer and the higher risk that Black men face,” says Ago.
“This isn’t a theoretical issue. It’s very real. The lack of awareness results in Black men being diagnosed late because there are no symptoms in the disease’s early stages. Unless men go for regular physicals and have both a PSA and a Digital Rectal Exam, there’s no way to detect it early on when it is very treatable.”
Working with PCC Atlantic Region and the African United Baptist Association of Nova Scotia, Dr. Ago is confident that a province-wide prostate cancer support group network for African-Canadian Nova Scotians and their families will be up and running before the end of the year. Says Ago: “Men are waiting to develop prostate cancer to get involved. We have a new idea: You don’t have to wait. If you are a Black man or you know someone who is Black and has a prostate gland, you have a right to be involved in these issues now.”
PCC is not only working to create support groups for Black men across the country, it is also establishing the first support group for gay men in the Atlantic region. Although more than 70 support groups exist across Canada, it’s important from a survivorship support point of view to branch out to segments such as the Black and/or gay populations. Bringing these men and their families together in such groups will help raise awareness about the issues to their specific communities.
For more information on Prostate Cancer Canada Network support groups, visit prostatecancer.ca/About-Us/Prostate-Cancer-Canada-Network
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