Women for Men’s Health Initiative is joining the fight against Prostate Cancer

In Canada, the number one cancer men face is prostate cancer. This week alone, seven men will die from prostate cancer in Alberta. Calgary’s Prostate Cancer Centre (PCC) is a non-profit, world class medical Centre with a mandate to prevent Alberta’s men from dying of prostate cancer, and to improve the quality of their lives and their family’s lives in the process. Aligning The Prostate Cancer Centre’s Women for Men’s Health Initiative is a natural fit, as the PCC is a recognized leader in men’s health & well-being.

THE NEED FOR EARLY DETECTION

In response to the need for early detection of prostate cancer and men’s health issues the PCC  introduced the MAN VAN in 2009, Canada’s only mobile men’s health unit. The mandate of the MAN VAN program is to deliver free PSA blood testing and health measurements such as BMI, blood sugar, and blood pressure to men across Calgary and southern Alberta. Educating men with the importance of early detection for very treatable and preventable health issues is critical to decreasing mortality rates of prostate cancer and other known health killers.

Calgary Radiologist and PCC board member Dr. Shelley Spaner is the founder of Women for Men’s Health. Dr. Shelley Spaner has witnessed the disparity between women and men’s health firsthand, and has started this initiative to engage women as active players in closing the gender gap when it comes to health and wellness.

WHAT MAKES WOMEN FOR MEN’S HEALTH UNIQUE?

In her words, Dr. Shelley Spaner’s practice is specialized and doesn’t lend itself to seeing patients more than a few times, and often only once. However, Dr. Shelley Spaner has extensive expertise and connections with radiologists and other key influencers (in the medical field and beyond) that could greatly improve the availability of support and services for men in Calgary. Her vision is to create a program in the Southern Alberta Institute of Urology that is all inclusive and accessible for men,  to shift men’s behaviours towards maintaining their health, and to mobilize women as key players in
this effort.
The message is simple, to prevent men from dying in this province from modifiable health factors related to diet, weight, blood pressure, and prostate cancer we need to encourage men to visit their doctor and get checked regularly.
Media Contact:
Sheldon Semmler
Communication Coordinator
T: 403-943-8950 C: 403-607-4492
E: Sheldon.s@prostatecancercentre.ca