September has a way of putting people back into routines. Children return to classrooms. Vacations wind down. Calendars fill up again. For some men, however, this month is also a reminder to pay attention to something that can be easy to ignore: prostate health. According to B.C. Cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the province. About one in eight men are expected to develop the disease during their lifetime. And for Grant Olson, those numbers are more than statistics. The Victoria businessman and owner of the Strathcona Hotel knew he had reason to pay attention. His father had prostate cancer. So did one of his older brothers. Olson had been keeping an eye on his prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, through regular bloodwork when the numbers began moving in the wrong direction. A first biopsy came back negative. A year later, another biopsy told a different story. It was prostate cancer. “I’ve known for years that I’m high risk for probably getting it just based on our family history,” Olson said. The diagnosis was caught at a lower risk stage, giving Olson treatment options. He was referred to Island Prostate Centre, where he met with a nurse navigator who helped him understand what came next. For Leanne Copp, the centre’s executive director, that kind of support is at the heart of the organization’s work. A diagnosis, she said, rarely affects only the person sitting in the doctor’s office. “It becomes a friend and family issue,” Copp said. Island Prostate Centre supports men and their families across Vancouver Island with education, emotional support and help navigating the health-care system. One of its key services is a nurse navigator program. Patients can sit down with a registered nurse to discuss their diagnosis, treatment options and the questions that can pile up after hearing the word cancer. “Having someone who can walk you through what’s coming next, answer any questions or concerns you might have, really being a partner in the health-care journey that they’re about to take on is really comforting for patients and their families,” Copp said. Olson experienced that uncertainty firsthand. After his diagnosis, he eventually underwent radiation treatment as part of a clinical trial at Royal Jubilee Hospital. He said advances in treatment meant his radiation was completed in just five sessions over roughly 10 days. He also received hormone treatment and is now being monitored through regular PSA testing. His experience has made him particularly vocal about family history and knowing your own risk. His older brother had already been diagnosed with prostate cancer. While Olson was undergoing treatment, he encouraged his brother to have his PSA checked again. He did, and is now awaiting radiation treatment. For Olson, that is the part of his story he wants other men to remember. “Just get checked,” he said. Copp said prostate cancer does not always cause noticeable symptoms in its early stages, which is why she encourages men to talk with a health-care professional about their individual risk. She said changes such as frequent urination, difficulty emptying the bladder or persistent lower back or groin pain should also be discussed with a medical professional. “Once you start to have symptoms, sometimes that prostate cancer has moved from an early detected disease into something a little bit more serious,” she said. That is why she wants September to be about more than simply recognizing Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. “Prostate cancer might not be the easiest thing to talk about, but we have to,” she said. For Olson, the conversation is personal. And he knows his own story could have been very different if he had ignored the warning signs in his family history. He is now cancer-free and continues to have his PSA monitored. His message to other men is straightforward. Don’t assume it cannot happen to you. Know your family history and talk to a health-care professional about your individual risk and don’t be afraid to ask questions when something doesn’t feel right. “It’s easy peasy,” Olson said. “It’s not invasive,” September is an opportunity to start that conversation. A diagnosis can change a family’s life. But so can finding cancer early enough to do something about it.
