ON PROSTATE CANCER

MPP Anand’s seventh Members’ Statement was on the topic of “Prostate Cancer”, delivered on 20 November 2018.

See full transcript below:

“Mr. Speaker, November, as you know, is also known as Movember, a month when we raise money and shed light on men’s health issues. Prostate cancer is one of those. Looking at the data in Canada, one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, a rate pretty similar to breast cancer, which is one in eight. Research suggests that the cancer rate is even higher among those of African and Caribbean descent, and these are hard statistics. In Ontario alone, 8,500 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 1,600 died.

When detected early, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%. The survival rate drops drastically to just 28% when diagnosed at stage 3 and 4. The price that we pay for late diagnosis is steep, too: Early diagnosis costs $17,000; with late diagnosis, it is $83,000.

Mr. Speaker, prevention is better than cure. There is a blood test available on the market with proven results in screening for PSA. It costs $30 out of pocket and is recommended every three to five years. Combined with regular checks, it can increase survival, the odds of early detection and a better prospect for our fellow citizens.

I’d like to thank Larissa Moniz and Maria Glidden from Prostate Cancer Canada for your presence today. This month, let’s support the Movember movement and talk about prostate cancer and other men’s health issues.”