(CNW) The Canadian Cancer Society has teamed
up with Wendel Clark, former team captain and one of the most
respected hockey players in Toronto Maple Leafs history, to
challenge men to change their views on checkups and speak to
their doctors about how they can protect their health.
 |
| name="valign"
top >
Wendel Clark |
To bring attention to this important message,
Clark is taking part in an awareness campaign.
"On or off the ice, it's important to take an
active and involved role in your own health," says Clark.
"Visiting your doctor and being checked regularly allows you to
be more aware and more equipped to react to potential health
problems."
To help men learn about the steps they can
take to reduce their risk of cancer, the Canadian Cancer
Society has launched the Checkup Checklist - an interactive,
online tool, available at
checkupchecklist.cancer.ca
.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer
among Canadian men - one in seven men will develop the disease
during his lifetime. In 2005, an estimated 20,500 men will be
diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,300 will die from it in
Canada.
Advances in cancer research have helped death
rates for prostate cancer drop by 12.3 percent since 1990 in
Canada.
"Oftentimes, men are less likely to speak to
their doctors about potential health problems," acknowledges
Dr. Robert Nam. "When cancer is detected early, the chances of
survival improve with treatment, so it's important for men to
understand how they can protect their health."
