Tens of thousands of Canadian men and their families are facing prostate cancer at this very moment. We’ve made amazing strides and have changed outcomes across the board — in the past 20 years, the death rate has dropped by 40 percent.

But we still have work to do. More than 4,000 men die each year because of this disease which means 4,000 families are losing their dads, brothers, husbands, and sons.

To change this, men need to be diagnosed in its early stage when prostate cancer can be cured because if detected early, close to 100 percent of men will survive it. To accomplish this, encourage the men in your life to talk to their doctors about an early detection strategy that is right for them.

“There is a tremendous need for greater awareness and education around this disease. We’re still losing far too many men,” says Peter Coleridge, President and CEO of Prostate Cancer Canada. “Everyone should be concerned about prostate cancer. That’s why we’re calling on family members to push their loved ones to learn more about this disease, and the importance of early detection.”

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month events across the country aim to educate Canadians about the disease. “Prostate cancer kills an estimated 11 men each day,” Coleridge says. “We need to change the statistics and the best way to do that is by taking action to spread awareness. During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we hope Canadians from coast-to-coast will better appreciate that prostate cancer is a serious disease we all need to talk about.”

Quick facts about prostate cancer:

  • It affects one in seven men
  • The disease accounts for 21 percent of all new cancer cases in men
  • The survival rate is 28 percent once it spreads to other parts of the body
  • Over 21,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year alone