English-language prostate cancer support group goes provincewide

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

ruby@qctonline.com

Montreal resident John Warren didn’t suspect anything before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. “I knew I had a prostate, but I never really thought about prostate cancer – it’s a big learning curve when you’re first diagnosed,” he said. A blood test during a routine physical exam found an elevated level of prostate-specific antigen; Warren’s next steps were a rectal exam, a biopsy and an operation to remove the organ.

“It’s not perfect, and there are side effects – I have urinary incontinence and I’ve had to get a separate operation to address that – but as one of the guys on our steering committee said, you’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Since then, in his own words, he’s been “living with cancer.

“I go for a blood test about three times a year, and if the [PSA] levels are elevated, I have to go for treatment, but I’m not worried about it [from day to day].”

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, one in eight Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer over the course of their lives, and one in 30 will die from it. Warren began getting an idea of how common the disease is when he learned that two of his neighbours had had it.

The early stages of the disease often have no obvious symptoms, which, Warren observed, makes getting tested at an annual physical even more important. Annual testing is recommended for men 50 and older, although, as Warren pointed out, men in their 40s can also get the disease – Karl Tremblay, lead singer of the Québécois pop-folk band Les Cowboys Fringants, was 47 when he died from complications of prostate cancer last November. “There are cases where men in their 40s should get checked out, especially if you have a history of prostate, breast or ovarian cancer in your family – there’s about a 20 per cent chance that you’ll get a diagnosis,” Warren said.

Warren is sharing his own story to destigmatize and encourage prostate cancer test- ing, and encourage men who have already been diagnosed with the disease to join the hybrid (in-person and Zoom- based) peer support group for English-speaking Quebecers he co- ordinates with Prostate Cancer Support Montreal & West Island. The group is leading an outreach campaign in the Quebec City and Sherbrooke regions to help “break the isolation” of English-speaking cancer patients.

“We’re not doctors, so we’re very careful about medical advice, but we share information about the treatments and the experiences we’ve had,” Warren said. The group also offers one-on-one peer support meetings and a voicemail box where men can leave messages and get answers to their questions within 24 hours. He said being part of the group, of which he’s now vice-president, allowed him to “give back, reach out and to let people know that there’s a group out here.”

To learn more about Prostate Cancer Support Montreal & West Island, visit pcsgmontrealwestisland.org.