In the early 1970s, when the Edmonton Oilers were a brand-new franchise in the World Hockey Association, Al Hamilton was chosen as the team’s first captain. He played a steady, physical game on the blue line, and he led with quiet consistency. His number 3 later became the first jersey retired by the Oilers, a marker of what he meant to the team and to the city of Edmonton.
Today, Hamilton finds himself a leader again, this time in a fight far from the arena. Seventeen years ago, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He speaks about it with the same calm honesty that defined his playing days, and with a clear message for other men. Do not wait for symptoms. Get checked.
A diagnosis that did not feel real
Hamilton was 61 when his family doctor raised the topic of PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) screening. It was a routine visit, and he remembers feeling healthy with no signs that anything was wrong. Still, he agreed to the blood test because it was time to start monitoring based on age.
The results were surprising. His Gleason score came back at 4.5. “I didn’t think it was significant, but my doctor referred me to a urologist.” That referral led to an official diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Hamilton moved through treatment discussions and initially decided on brachytherapy and hormone therapy. Brachytherapy is a form of internal radiation where tiny radioactive sources are placed directly into the prostate to kill cancer cells. Hormone therapy is often used alongside it to slow the cancer’s growth.
He received his first hormone shot. Then Jan stepped in.
The power of advocacy
Hamilton credits his wife with helping him find the right path. Jan read widely after the diagnosis, including an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that questioned whether men with low grade prostate cancer always benefit from aggressive treatment. The research made them pause.
Together with Hamilton’s doctor, they decided to shift to active surveillance, also known as watch and wait. This meant regular monitoring, rather than immediate treatment. His cancer was low grade, he had no symptoms, and careful follow up offered a safe option.
That decision has held up over time. Hamilton continues to live with prostate cancer today, but he has not needed further treatment. Each year he gets a PSA test through his doctor to track changes.
A new perspective on health
Hamilton’s diagnosis changed more than his medical routine. It changed how he thinks about long term wellbeing. “I lost some weight, stopped drinking and smoking – those were quite important factors. I stay active and get my steps in every day”. He has lived through his share of physical setbacks. “I’ve had 30 surgeries in my years.” Staying active and protecting his health is now part of daily life, not something to put off.
Turning experience into action
Hamilton is now a proud ambassador for the MAN VAN® program that brings PSA testing and education to communities across northern Alberta. He has seen what happens when prostate cancer is caught too late. Several friends were diagnosed only after symptoms appeared and the disease had advanced. One has passed away. Others have undergone treatments that did not work or came after the cancer had spread.
Those experiences motivate him to speak plainly to men who avoid the doctor. “If it doesn’t hurt they don’t think anything is wrong, until there is”. He urges them to take a different approach. “I encourage them to get checked, the earlier you detect the better the options for treatment or active surveillance”. The test itself is quick. “What have you got to lose, it takes 5 minutes to get a blood test.”
Hamilton’s playing career was defined by showing up and doing the right things early. Seventeen years after his diagnosis, he is still doing that. Not only for himself, but for the men who need a captain’s voice to remind them that prevention is part of strength.