ATHABASCA — Calling all men aged 40-70 in the Athabasca area: a decked out, expensive ride with a flashy paint job is coming to Athabasca on Sunday June 8, and you don’t want to miss it.
The big blue Man Van is slated to spend the second Sunday of the month in the Canadian Tire parking lot, and while locals of the male variety may be intrigued by the outside, what’s inside saves lives.
The Man Van, running since 2009, is the first men’s health clinic on wheels in the country, and travels from community to community to provide free prostate cancer screenings and mental wellness checkups, all within less than 15 minutes, no appointment or healthcare coverage necessary. Ran by the Prostate Cancer Centre in Calgary, the Man Van is fuelled solely by private donations and corporate contributions.
Patients undergo a blood test — not a glove test — which screens for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels, and receive their results directly from Man Van staff within a week, and if PSA levels are higher than recommended, the Prostate Cancer Centre will follow up to discuss further testing options.
The clinical team can also provide a no charge mental wellness check for signs of depression and suicide risk for all men over the age of 18. According to data from the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, more than 1 million Canadian men suffer from major depression every year, and men are three times more likely to die from suicide.
Prostate cancer is the leading cancer type among Albertan and Canadian men, with 1 in 6 receiving a diagnosis in their lifetime, according to Prostate Cancer Centre data. In its early stages, prostate cancer is treatable, while in later stages, treatment can help with symptoms and extend life expectancy.
But, prostate cancer can be hard to detect in the beginning stages, and often does not cause symptoms immediately, but may develop and evolve as tumours grow.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, signs can include:
-urinating often, especially at night
-a strong or sudden urge to urinate
-difficulty starting urination, and weak, slow, or interrupted streams
-burning or pain during urination
-blood in urine or semen
-pain or discomfort when sitting due to an enlarged prostate
-painful ejaculation
-stiffness or pain in back, hips or pelvis that doesn’t go away
-fatigue
Early detection of prostate cancer is important, and could be one factor influencing the improving survival rates seen over the last four years. And thanks to a donation from the local Rotary Club, Athabascans with prostates can get one step closer to taking preventative healthcare into their own hands.
The Man Van operates on a first-come, first-served basis. It can be found in the Canadian Tire parking lot at 2913 48 Avenue from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
