The Need
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect Canadian men. There are approximately 250,000 currently afflicted with prostate cancer- 10,000 of which are part of the 75 Prostate Cancer Canada Network (PCCN) support groups across the country. This year, it’s estimated that 26,500 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer– that’s 73 every day.
The Numbers
Given the prevalence of prostate cancer in Canadian men, the message couldn’t be clearer: we need to expand survivorship services. That’s why we’re so excited about launching ‘A Survivorship Action Partnership’ (ASAP). ASAP will help improve the lives of prostate cancer survivors and their families through the development of support programs. Thanks to our friends at Movember, ASAP will be funded by a $10 million dollar commitment (over the next three years) – that’s the largest investment to date in Canadian prostate cancer survivorship programs.
What is ASAP?
The ASAP network will bring together individuals from different disciplines to provide specialist expertise and develop programs collaboratively. These programs will cover everything from physical, to mental, to spiritual wellbeing. The ASAP solutions will also be designed to be sustainable and scalable, so that they can be applied in rural communities, urban centers, and nationally.
What Will ASAP Do?
Ultimately, ASAP will empower survivors to take better control of their health. While we need to address the immediate treatment of prostate cancer survivors, we also need to provide ongoing support throughout their prostate cancer journey. This means identifying and treating concerns such as depression, anxiety and erectile dysfunction. Recognizing that a number of men experience these issues will help improve clinical practices as the needs of the ‘whole patient’ are acknowledged and addressed through the collaborative forces of ASAP.
More information on ASAP.
More information on Movember funded programs.