Men still reluctant to get checked for prostate cancer

For many Canadian men, the only thing more terrifying than the idea of prostate cancer is the trip to the doctor to check for prostate cancer.

 

But the Canadian Cancer Society website says early detection is critical, and that as men reach 45 to 50 years of age it is important to go to the doctor and get checked out.

 

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian men. Located close to the rectum just below the bladder, main function of the prostate gland is to help produce the seminal fluid that mixes with sperm from the testicles to make semen.

 

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the statistics are staggering: An estimated 24,600 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die of it. On average, 80 Canadian men will die of prostate cancer every week.

 

Despite this, a 2007 study in Statistics Canada showed that women 'have consistently been found to use medical services more often than men.and that data showed that women aged 18 to 64 had higher odds than men of reporting a consultation with a GP, visiting a doctor on multiple occasions and of consulting a specialist, even allowing for the effects of chronic conditions and self-perceived health. These findings held when women who were pregnant or who had given birth in the previous year were excluded.'