With an estimated one in six Alberta men developing prostate cancer in their lifetime, the province is investing $3 million over two years, which is being matched by the Alberta Cancer Foundation for a $6 million investment for better diagnosis options.
The money will fund the availability of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) and computerized tomography (CT) scans in Alberta.
Men’s Health Week is being observed in the province, and health planners note that early diagnosis and intervention are critical to ensuring those diagnosed can receive appropriate treatment and recover to live healthy lives.
The funding will support access to PSMA PET/CT scans at the Cross Cancer Institute, Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, and the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
While five per cent of prostate cancers are preventable, the risk of getting the disease starts to rise at about age 40, and one in 30 Albertans who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will not survive.
