Men are notoriously bad for not being proactive about their health.

It inspired the Man Van, a mobile health clinic delivering baseline PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood tests to men over 40.

Agricultural Financial Services (AFSC) in Lacombe is hosting the Man Van tomorrow (Nov 22nd) afternoon and the Prostate Cancer Centre is calling on men in the area to make time to stop by.

Program Manager Ken Rabb says their goal is to see men continue to live active, normal lives.

“Prostate cancer is the leading cancer in men, 1 in 7 men in Alberta will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, but it is a very treatable disease when caught early, it’s about 95% treatable. The way to do that is to get checked early, being more proactive about your health”.

You’ll be greeted by a prostate cancer survivor once you arrive at the mobile health clinic; Rabb explains what you can expect from there on in.

“Fill out a little bit of paperwork; they don’t need an Alberta Health Care Number or anything, it’s all privately funded, so the clinic in Lacombe is brought to the community by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation. The next step is to go in and meet with one of our two nurses and they are responsible for drawing your blood, so it’s not much blood we need, we need about half a teaspoon, and we do draw that through the veins, but the whole process takes just about 5 minutes”.

Results from the blood tests will be mailed to those men tested and the Prostate Cancer Centre follows up with anyone who may have received results of an elevated PSA level to help them with the next steps.

You'll find the Man Van in the AFSC parking lot on 56th Avenue in Lacombe tomorrow (Nov 22nd) from 1-4pm, no appointment is necessary.

(Photo courtesy Prostate Cancer Centre)