The parking lot around ATB Financial was a busy place Thursday afternoon, as many men over the age of 40 came to keep their health on track.
The Man Van rolled into Sylvan Lake from 12-3 p.m. Aug. 23, to screen as many men as possible for prostate cancer.
However, the screening was done without the glove.
Instead, men 40 and older were given a blood test.
ATB Financial sponsored the man van, so as many men as possible could be screened. The bank sponsors around eight trips for the Man Van to stop in various locations around Alberta.
The blood test is an early detection test, that is compared to years in the past. When the test begins to show an increase in abnormalities, it is time to talk to your doctor about further testing.
Often during the three hour period there was a short line of men waiting to have their free baseline Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test.
Prostate cancer effects more men in Canada than breast cancer effects women. Statistics from www.prostatecancer.ca show one in seven men over the age of 40 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. In comparison, one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
It is estimated that more than 21,000 Canadian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017.
Curtis Stange, CEO of ATB Financial, was in Sylvan Lake during the screening and called early detection very important.
It is suggested men be tested for prostate cancer once a year from the time they turn 40.
The Man Van is the first and only mobile men’s health clinic, offering free PSA blood testing for men, according to the Man Van’s website.
