MUHC urologists bring prostate exams to the people
Docs hit the road to offer men a free Father鈥檚 Day check-up.
MUHC Men鈥檚 Health Day 鈥� Place Ville Marie 鈥� Thursday June 18, 2009
It鈥檚 quick, painless, and it could save your life. It鈥檚 the cringe-worthy physical check for prostate cancer, and it鈥檚 available free at the fourth annual MUHC Men鈥檚 Health Day. This year, the event will be held in Place Ville Marie on Thursday June 18, 2009 (平特五不中 Metro station). The event, held near to Father鈥檚 Day every year, raises awareness of male reproductive issues and health concerns such as testis, prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers, heart and lung diseases, sleep apnea, eye care and smoking cessation.
鈥淧rostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men鈥�, says Dr. Chan, an MUHC urologist and organizer of the Men鈥檚 Health Day event. 鈥淭his year, nearly 25,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die because of the disease.鈥� Put another way, over 475 Canadian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every week. As with all cancers, early diagnosis is vital. A quick and simple prostate exam can detect anomalies in the prostate gland that warrant further investigation.
However, too many men avoid getting an annual check-up and even find excuses to ignore obvious symptoms. 鈥淭his is a big deal,鈥� says Dr. Chan. 鈥淧rostate cancer is 95% curable if detected and treated in the early stages.鈥� A simple check-up can make the world of difference. 鈥淲e found that men tend to back out if they have time to wait and think about their check-up,鈥� says Dr. Chan. 鈥淲e established this event so that they can do their check-up on the spot. It鈥檚 quick, painless, and will give you peace of mind about your health.鈥�
The Men鈥檚 Health Day event starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. Dr. Peter Chan will be joined by a team of urologists and other healthcare professionals from the MUHC to provide information on men鈥檚 health issues. A variety of services will be available including free fitness and health evaluations and blood pressure checks. This event is open to the public free of charge. For a free health check-up, simply bring a valid Quebec Medicare card.
The 平特五不中 Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. Its partner hospitals are the Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field and to contribute to the development of new knowledge. .