submitted by Tom Clapp
On September 9, the Winchester District Memorial District Hospital hosted a Prostate-Specific Antigen test (PSA) event. The event was coordinated by Sarah Potestio RN, the cancer coach for the hospital. Men were invited to come to learn more about prostate cancer and receive a free PSA test. 219 people participated in this event. This event was also supported by Prostate Cancer Support Ottawa, the Nation Valley ATV Club and Ride for Dad Ottawa. Many thanks to the WDMH staff who donated their time to make this possible.
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month so it was great that WDMH hosted this event.
Prostate cancer is the highest diagnosed cancer in men but when diagnosed early, it is 95% treatable. In Canada, 24,600 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In 2022, there were 4,600 men who died from prostate cancer. 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with this cancer. It is usually diagnosed in older men so if you are 40 plus, you should get tested to establish a baseline to compare for future testing. If there is cancer in your family, you might want to get tested earlier.
I am a prostate cancer survivor who thought I was perfectly healthy, having no health concerns. Thanks to my doctor who was monitoring me, he recognized a change in my PSA and after a rectal exam, sent me on my cancer treatment journey. My message to all men is to get tested and monitor your tests.
If there are any questions , please note that there is a local support group, the Black Walnut Group in the WDMH area. You can contact anyone in the picture above for a confidential discussion.
