Ottawa - October 30, 2001

Members of Parliament and senators were among those who took lessons on the male anatomy Tuesday at an information session on prostate cancer organized by North Vancouver MP, Ted White. The keynote speaker at the event was internationally recognized research urologist Dr Yves Fradet, who provided federal representatives with basic information such as the location and function of the prostate gland, as well as talking about the diagnosis and treatment of a cancer which one Canadian man in eight will develop during his lifetime.

MP White said he organized the information session, with the assistance of Abbot Diagnostics, in order to raise awareness amongst federal representatives of the seriousness of prostate cancer, and the effectiveness of the PSA test in facilitating early diagnosis. "More than 8,000 men died of prostate cancer in Canada last year" said White. "It is the leading cause of cancer death amongst men, but early diagnosis can save lives, as has been demonstrated right here in the House of Commons. Health Minister Alan Rock and the previous leader of opposition, Preston Manning, have both had surgery for prostate cancer in the past year. Prostate cancer does not distinguish between the MPs of the various parties in parliament --- it is a truly non-partisan matter.”

In conjunction with the information session, male MPs, senators, staff, and members of the Ottawa Press Gallery were able to take PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen) blood tests for the presence of prostate cancer. Arguments for and against the routine use of this test were covered in detail by Dr Fradet, but on balance he recommended that all men over 50 years of age should have both the PSA and DRE (Digital Rectal Exam) tests at the same time as their annual medical checkup.

Prostate cancer is most common in men over 50 and the majority of men will have evidence of the disease once they reach their mid seventies. However, prostate cancer usually progresses slowly, making it likely that men older than 70 will die of causes other than prostate cancer. The value in early diagnosis is for men who have developed the disease in their fifties, when effective treatment is life extending. This could be particularly important for the "baby boom" generation of men, who are just entering the age range where PSA testing could be most beneficial. Statistics over the past decade show an increasing incidence of the disease, lending some credibility to this position.

White made it clear that he feels that Canadian men have a role to play in improving the survival rate for those with prostate cancer. "Men need to begin lobbying both the federal and provincial Health Ministers to allocate more funding to prostate cancer research, as well as covering the cost of routine PSA testing for men over 50" he said. "The PSA test is 30% more effective in diagnosing prostate cancer than the mammogram is in diagnosing breast cancer, and just as many families are affected by prostate cancer as are affected by breast cancer. The women of Canada have done a great job in raising awareness about breast cancer and in building research funding to levels 10 times as high as those allocated to prostate cancer. We men really need to work at getting prostate cancer research funding added to the national priorities list."

TED WHITE