Funding is coming to reduce the risk of cancer

It is estimated that one in six Alberta men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Not only is prostate cancer the most common cancer amongst Canadian men, but it is also the third leading cause of death from cancer in Canadian men.

The Provincial government announced on June 12th, that they are helping to improve prostate cancer care in the province.

Getting an early diagnosis and having early intervention are instrumental in ensuring those who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are able to receive the appropriate treatment and recover.

To help increase early detection of prostate cancer in men, the Alberta government is providing a $3 million investment over two years to increase the availability of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) and computerized tomography (CT) scans in the province.

The Alberta Cancer Foundation is matching the Provincial government’s investment, bringing the total investment to $6 million.

These PET/CT scans are diagnostic imaging tests that incorporate radioactive tracers to reveal tissue and organ functions.

PET scans are primarily used for patients with brain conditions, heart conditions, and cancer, and help visualize the biochemical changes that are occurring in the body.

Through these scans, medical professionals are able to better diagnose certain cancers, assess how far the cancer has spread, and determine if the treatments the patient is on are working.

Currently, the PSMA PET/CT scans are only available through clinical trials, but this new funding will make them more available to more people while waiting for the Canadian Drug Agency review and funding.

By allowing more people to access these clinical trials, the patients will benefit from better diagnosis and treatment planning while also reducing unnecessary scans and surgeries.

An estimated 2,000 Albertans will be able to access these clinical trials every year.

“This investment will support a special kind of clinical trial to increase access to a technology that’s already proven to improve diagnosis and staging accuracy for prostate cancer patients and patients with recurring cancer who require follow-up care. This Men’s Health Week, I’d like to remind Albertans that early detection of prostate cancer saves lives, and I encourage every Albertan to raise awareness of men’s health issues,” explained the Minister of Health, Adriana LaGrange in a media release from June 12th.

Currently, medical professionals are relying on CT and bone scans to diagnose prostate cancer, but oncologists and nuclear radiologists consider PSMA PET/CT scans to be more accurate diagnoses, which will lead to more informed treatment decisions.

This funding will go to Cross Cancer Institute and Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, and the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, which will support access to PSMA PET/CT scans.

The Risk of prostate cancer begins to increase around the age of 40.

For those in the Okotoks area who are between 40 and 80 years old are able to come down to the Okotoks Dawgs baseball game on Sunday, June 18th for a free Prostate Specific Antigen blood test to determine if there is a concern over prostate cancer.

The Man Van will be onsite at Seaman Stadium, but tickets to the game are required to get a free checkup.

To learn more about the Man Van, click here.

To learn more about prostate cancer, click here.