The Prostate Project

"Often they'd come to see me when the prostate cancer had already spread to the lymph nodes or bones," he says. "Unfortunately, by that time, the cancer was not curable."

Since then, much has changed. As more public figures come forward and openly discuss their experience with prostate cancer, the disease
has slowly emerged from the shadows.

Dr. Short, now Chief of Surgery (Urological Oncology) at the Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ont, embraces this change -- today, his patients are better educated and more open to discussing their condition.

And that's good news because the more men learn about the disease, the more they seek early detection -- and the better their chances of survival.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of non-skin malignancy affecting men and is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for men in North America. One in seven men will develop prostate cancer over their lifetime. In this year alone in Canada, there will be 25,000 new cases and 4,400 men will die of prostate cancer.

The disease starts when malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the prostate, a small gland that sits under the bladder. Left untreated, the cancer may spread to the bones and lymph nodes, with deadly complications.

Because it generally begins developing in men around the age of 50, with the risk increasing as they get older, doctors recommend that men initiate their screening for prostate cancer at this age.

In most cases, the tumours grow slowly. "Prostate cancer is highly treatable as long as it's detected at an early stage," says Dr. Short, noting that up to 80 per cent of cases that are detected at an early stage and treated appropriately, can be cured.

However, early diagnosis can be an elusive goal. In its formative stages, the disease may have no signs or symptoms. That's why earlier detection is so imperative. There are two tests your family doctor can do: a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test helps detect prostate cancer by measuring a substance called prostate specific antigen made by the prostate; and a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) allows the doctor to find lumps, irregularities or changes in size or consistency in the prostate.