A fun weekend at the curling centre isn't the only thing being offered at the annual men's curling bonspiel.
The Man Van is returning to offer free Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood testing used for early detection of prostate cancer for men 40 to 80 years of age.
Additional health measurements, including blood pressure, blood sugar, and waist circumference are taken, plus the clinical team offers a mental wellness check which assesses depression and suicide risk/symptoms. These services are offered for all men 18-plus.
The mobile clinic will be located outside of the main entrance to the SLS Centre on Saturday from 12 noon to 4 p.m., an hour longer than in the past.
"We wanted to make sure we extended that to make sure that any male that would like to participate can go and have some time in the Man Van," explains Kendall Waiting, bonspiel chair and president of the Cochrane Curling Club.
Waiting is among the men who has visited the Man Van during the bonspiel. He says it's 15-20 minutes well spent to keep your health in check.
"They do some blood work to identify your PSA numbers, and a little bit of other stuff around height and weight and different things like that blood pressure," says Waiting. "It's a straightforward, simple task and the staff are fantastic."
The results of the PSA test are typically received within a few days, and you are provided the result of the other measurements taken (blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference) on the spot.
The Man Van is a mobile service offered by the Prostate Cancer Centre and was left struggling financially after the pandemic. Waiting salutes the Cochrane Rotary and Lions clubs for stepping forward to make this year's visit possible.
Ed Miller, left, and Richard Clayton manned the registration desk last year just inside the front door of the SLS Centre.The prostate is a small gland about the size and shape of a walnut. It is located under the bladder, in front of the rectum, and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder).
If the prostate grows too large, the flow of urine can be slowed or stopped. The prostate makes, stores, and secretes fluid that forms part of the semen in which sperm are transported.
Prostate cancer is the leading form of cancer diagnosed in Canadian men. If diagnosed early, prostate cancer is treatable. Even when the disease is advanced, treatment can eradicate symptoms and prolong survival.
Survival rates for prostate cancer have been improving for the last four years, perhaps due to the importance that is placed on early detection.
Mon, Apr 29, 6:00 PM
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