Winnipeg, Manitoba -- A quick visit to the Man Van could change your life! The
Prostate Cancer Centre and Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) are teaming up to increase awareness of early prostate cancer detection and the importance of men’s health in rural communities.
From January 26 to 28, the Prostate Cancer Centre’s Man Van team will be at
FarmTech in Edmonton with their mobile Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood testing clinic. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate and released in small amounts to the bloodstream.
In addition to offering the PSA blood tests, which can help in the early detection of prostate cancer, the Man Van will be offering men the opportunity to assess other health indicators, such as body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and blood glucose.
“It is well documented that ongoing abnormally high values for BMI, blood pressure and blood glucose can lead to serious health problems, says Dave Bateman, RN and Clinical Director of the Prostate Cancer Centre. “Getting checked can help men determine their overall health status and allow health practitioners to catch and possibly reverse potential problems early on.”
In Canada, the state of men’s health is often called the “silent crisis”. Men live five years less than women on average and out of the top 15 causes of death, men lead in 14. Men also are more likely to avoid preventative care, delay treatment, pay less attention to health information and are less likely to have a health care provider.
“As a farmer, I know first-hand how farm-men can put our businesses, our families and our communities ahead of our own health,” says Brett Halstead, President of CCGA. “By partnering with the Prostate Cancer Centre, we are supporting the well-being of farming communities and creating opportunities for men to learn more about their health and take steps toward living a healthier lifestyle.”
CCGA and the Prostate Cancer Centre invites all men to visit the Man Van during FarmTech to get checked. The PSA blood test is available to men over 40, while the additional health indicators are available to all men. The tests are free, only take a few minutes, and could change your life!
The Prostate Cancer Centre is a non-profit organization that focuses on the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer and prostate-related disease.
CCGA represents more than 43,000 canola farmers on national and international issues, policies and programs that impact farm profitability.
FarmTech is Canada’s premier crop production and farm management conference hosted by the collaboration of Alberta Barley, the Alberta Canola Producers Commission, the Alberta Pulse Growers, the Alberta Seed Growers Association, and the Alberta Wheat Commission.
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Contacts:
Kelly Green, Director of Communications
Canadian Canola Growers Association
Email:
kellyg@ccga.ca
Phone: 204.789.8821
Ken Rabb, Man Van Program Manager
Prostate Cancer Centre
t: 403-943-8952
e:
kenr@prostatecancercentre.ca
w:
www.getchecked.ca