Remembering Guy Jolin

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform you of the death of our friend, Guy Jolin, who passed away on Thursday 16 March 2023.  Guy was a very active member of your Steering Committee and was devoted to our group for many years.  Guy had been fighting more than his fair share of medical issues but relentlessly had a cheerful disposition to the end.  We will miss his infectious joyful attitude; he was truly an inspiration. Please keep Joannie and family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. 

There will be a Celebration of Life at 1100 on Saturday 22 April 2023 at the Salvation Army South Windsor Citadel (1201 Grand Marais Rd West).

March 2023 Support Group Meeting

Please join us Tuesday, March 14th @ 7 p.m. for our monthly support group meeting, either in person at Hospice of Windsor, 6038 Empress St., Windsor, or virtually on Zoom at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87972958528?pwd=Zld4Z3RGcHF0MEhDNjdHdlpscXYzQT09

We recently received an invitation from the Ontario Prostate Cancer Support co-ordinating group to participate in a meeting with other Ontario Support groups to discuss declining memberships across the board, and other associated challenges.  This issue, and others which also apply to our group, need to be reflected upon and discussed in preparation for a National meeting to be hosted by Prostate Cancer Support Canada.  It is the current plan for Garry Loeper and Jim Fair to attend this Ontario discussion group, which is currently planned for the 3rd week of March.

As you are aware, we did not hold a February meeting due to the difficulty of finding a speaker and the number of members wintering in warmer climates.  We are unfortunately again experiencing the same issue for our upcoming March meeting with members down south and potential speakers dealing with student March break commitments and warm climate vacations of their own.  Bear in mind that many of these kind folks have young families and are mostly still working while donating their spare time to our group.

It is our desire to hold Hybrid-ZOOM meetings that will allow members to meet at the Hospice but also allow out of town members to join in; but most importantly, allow speakers to present from the comfort of their homes.  These have worked very well for other groups and there are numerous opportunities to join the National group and other non-Windsor Support groups’ ZOOM meetings.  In fact, many of these non-Windsor groups have excellent speakers who are rare and who would be difficult to replicate here in Windsor.  Logic would dictate that we should take advantage of these quality speakers.

Unfortunately, past experience has shown that our members are not enthusiastic about ZOOM meetings.  In order to adjust to this paradigm shift that is evident in society lately, we will need to embrace Hybrid-ZOOM meetings and innovate other ways to attract members and conduct meaningful and interesting get-togethers.  Some options that could be explored include:

·         Having shared monthly meetings with other Ontario groups.  We could still meet at the Hospice, but virtually connect with other groups and take advantage of other excellent speakers; and/or

·         Acquire recorded expert presentations from the National and other non-Windsor groups’ meetings and present them during our monthly meetings.

Your Steering Committee is proposing to have this as the primary topic for our meeting this Tuesday 14 March.  We sincerely do need and value your input in preparation for this upcoming Ontario and National discussions.  Most importantly is the need to make sure that our group remains relevant and useful to the newly diagnosed and the community.  As you are aware, we have been aggressively briefing organizations and attending Health/Wellness Fairs and other events.  For example, we will soon be participating in Play for a Cure, Motorcycle Ride for Dad, National Federal Retirees Annual General Meeting, and other community awareness events.  We also continue to have newly diagnosed people calling upon us for help.  These are great endeavors and our vision is to be seen as a reliable and worthy support organization for survivors and the community.

We therefore invite and encourage everyone to join us at the Hospice at 7pm this Tuesday 14 March.  We sincerely need your input.  For those who cannot attend, please join us via ZOOM as follows:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87972958528?pwd=Zld4Z3RGcHF0MEhDNjdHdlpscXYzQT09

Meeting ID: 879 7295 8528

Passcode: 287292

Garry

Please follow this link to review this month’s news and information from Prostate Cancer Support Canada:

https://mailchi.mp/prostatecancerbc/march2023-15654417?e=30e4966d09

No Support Group Meeting in February

Tuesday February 14th – Happy Valentine’s Day! A reminder that our usual evening meeting will be canceled so that everyone can spend the evening with someone special in their life. 

In Other News:

Saturday, February 11th, 7:00am Live and Local, hosted by Kyle Horner on AM800CKLW, will feature an interview with our own Garry Loeper.

For all you early risers, be sure to tune in, or catch the audio cut later online at:

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/shows/live-and-local-1.1819295

Please take advantage of any or all of the upcoming programs offered online by Prostate Cancer Support Canada.

Check out details at this link:

https://mailchi.mp/prostatecancerbc/february2023?e=30e4966d09

News and Upcoming Presentations – January/February 2023

No Support Group Meeting In February

Tuesday February 14th – Happy Valentine’s Day! Our usual evening meeting will be canceled so that everyone can spend the evening with someone special in their life. 

A message from Garry:

Hello All

Your Steering Committee hopes that everyone is doing well and had a great Holiday Season as well as enjoying the relatively mild winter so far. The nasty stuff is knocking on our door this week.

Guy Jolin

First of all, we want to pass on that our dear friend, Guy Jolin, is currently going through a difficult time and is hospitalized at Hotel-Dieu. Guy has been with our group for many many years and is a valued member of your Steering Committee.  Our thoughts are with him and his wonderful wife Joannie.  If anyone would like to connect with Guy, he would welcome any text messages at 519-981-8215. You can also contact us if you want some information such as how to best communicate with Guy.

Winter Program

We wanted to give everyone a quick update on our winter program changes and plans.  Most importantly is our decision to NOT have a February membership meeting.  We did not take this decision lightly; however our feedback to date has concluded that there will be minimal attendance due to many members being away, enjoying southern climates, as well as many who would prefer more romantic endeavors on Valentines Day. Weather is always a wild card for travel to a February meeting. In addition, our winter program is planning to attract Urologists and Radiologists as speakers; after our long COVID pause, we want to make sure there is maximum participation for these respected presenters.

Please take advantage of any or all of the upcoming programs offered online by Prostate Cancer Support Canada. Check out details below or follow this link:

https://mailchi.mp/prostatecancerbc/january-2023-newsletter?e=30e4966d09

It is our plan to have our next meeting on Tuesday 14 March at the Hospice.  We are working hard to try and have this meeting as a hybrid ZOOM meeting. This would allow those in attendance at Hospice to enjoy real person interaction (and Noel’s banana bread), but also to allow out of town folks, and others not able to attend, to participate.

In the meantime, please continue to provide us with suggestions on how to improve our program.

Garry

As we move into the new year, we look back with gratitude and look forward with excitement.
We can’t wait to continue working with you – our incredible community – to improve and expand the support that we provide to prostate cancer patients and their loved ones across Canada. As always, if you have suggestions, comments, or questions about any of our services, please feel free to reach out.
Have your grandkids for the weekend and want to keep them busy?

Or do you or someone you know enjoy drawing, painting, creating, or designing?

We need your help to design the Father’s Day Walk/Run’s 25th anniversary T-shirt!

Please submit your creation to Nicole (nicole@prostatecancerbc.ca) by Thursday, January 26th.

THURSDAY, JAN 26TH, 2023 | 6PM PST (9PM EST)
Prostate cancer affects both partners in a relationship. This support group offers a safe space for caregivers and loved ones to share their experiences, triumphs, and concerns. 

Check out the Partners in Prostate forum where you can chat with other partners 24/7.
Register now

Coast to Coast Prostate Cancer Support Group
TUESDAY, JAN 31ST, 2023

11AM PST (2PM EST)
Join us for our Coast to Coast support group meeting that will feature special guest speaker, Dr. Phil Cohen.
Dr. Phil Cohen will be speaking on theranostics in nuclear medicine and the role that they play in prostate cancer. “Theranostics” is a combination of the terms “therapeutics” and “diagnostics.” The term is used to describe the combination of using one radioactive drug to identify (diagnose) and a second radioactive drug to deliver therapy to treat the main tumor and any metastatic tumors.
Register now

TUESDAY, JAN 31ST, 2023 | 
7 PM EST (4 PM PST)

PCS Toronto welcomes Dr. Andrew J. Evans, Chief of Pathology at Mackenzie Health who will be speaking on ‘Understanding Gleason Scores and Pathology Reports.’This presentation will cover the processing of prostate needle core biopsies and radical prostatectomy specimens and how pathologists establish a histologic diagnosis of prostate cancer. 

Register now
WEDNESDAY, FEB 8TH, 2023 | 
4PM PST (7PM EST)

This group welcomes men and their loved ones dealing with prostate cancer that has spread, that no longer responds to ADT, or is high risk.

Advanced prostate cancer patients deal with unique issues. Come for the information, stay for the support. New attendees are given priority to share. For immediate support, check out the Advanced Prostate Cancer forum where you can chat with other partners 24/7.
Register now
THURSDAY, FEB 9TH, 2023 | 
4:30PM PST (7:30PM EST)


This group offers support and information to men looking into active surveillance as a non-invasive treatment option for their low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer. Learn more about how active surveillance works and why it’s not the same as just ‘avoiding treatment.’
Register now

TUESDAY, FEB. 28TH, 2023 | 
11 AM PST (2 PM EST)

Following Justin Lorentz’s presentation will be an opportunity for Q&A and support group discussion.
Register now

December 2022 Support Group Holiday Meeting

2022 – A Great Year of Accomplishments!

I would like to thank all of your Steering Committee (SC) members for a great year.  We have accomplished a lot thanks to their hard work and enthusiasm.  Major achievements include:

·         Awareness presentations to several organizations;

·         We put together an impressive awareness booth, with a professionally developed banner stand and brochures, that we manned at several Health & Wellness Fairs and Hockey Games;

·         We had some impressive presentations at our monthly meetings;

·         We provided direct support to cancer related fundraising events such as “Play-for-a-Cure” and the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundaton “Grow-On” campaign; and

·         We have networked with the Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) to have our awareness posters and brochures distributed to local urologists and we successfully solicited presenters for our 2022 program and upcoming Winter 2023 program including uroglists, radiologists, and social worker.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, 5:30 PM

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 594

5030 HOWARD AVENUE, OLDCASTLE, ON N9H 0M3

Our Christmas party is planned for a 5:30pm start on Tuesday 13 December 2022 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 located at 5030 Howard Ave.; this coincides with that Legion’s bi-weekly spaghetti dinner.  This dinner costs $10/person and normally runs from 4:30pm to 6:30pm; it includes all-you-can-eat spaghetti, salad and a bun. 

The Legion will segregate part of the hall for our members and they will let us remain and enjoy the hall after the dinner has finished and everyone else has left.  Here are some of the advantages of this venue, which is a nice new and cheerful building:

·         There will be no cost for the hall rental assuming a sufficient number of members attend the spaghetti dinner starting at 5:30pm;

·         The $10/person cost for the dinner is reasonable;

·         There will be a bar with bartender on duty;

·         The hall will be nicely decorated with Christmas decorations and music; and

·         The Legion will allow our members to bring potluck desserts;

The Steering Committee hopes that you also find this plan to be equally exciting.  In order to assure success, we would like to know the following:

·         Numbers of members and guests who plan to attend;

·         Who will be bringing desserts; and

·         Any suggestions that would make this event memorable.

We need to know if you’re coming.

Please e-mail us (winexpcsg@gmail.com) or contact any of our Steering Committee members; their contact information can be found on our website (www.wpcsg.com/steering-committee/).

Future Planned Monthly Meetings

For the upcoming 2023 winter meetings (February to May) the following doctors have indicated a desire to meet with us and provide a presentation:

·         Dr. Igor Gaisinsky  (Diagnostic Radiology);

·         Dr. Jonathan Peng (Radiation Oncologist); and

·         Dr. Ryan McLarty (Urologist), who is new to Windsor.

If there are other ideas you have for presentations, please let us know.

2022 Grow On Windsor Campaign

A huge thanks goes out to all of you who either joined our PCSWE Grow On Team or donated generously to this year’s campaign. With your support, the Grow-On Windsor 2022 campaign exceeded their $300,000 goal and donations are still rolling in. Our Team is proud to have contributed a total of $4,441, which ranked us 7th out of the 37 teams participating.

Garry

Garry W. Loeper, CD, MScEng, PCIP, PMP, PEng

e-mail: gwloeper@gmail.com

cell: (613) 913-4799

November 8th Support Group Meeting

Tuesday November 8, 2022 Monthly Support Group Meeting at the Hospice (6038 Empress St.):

Our November monthly meeting will be at 7:00 pm on Tuesday 8 November at the Windsor Hospice.  For this month, we are very fortunate and pleased to have a presentation by Nancy Hannon, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Social Worker.

Nancy worked at the Windsor Regional Cancer Program for 15 years.  She has her Bachelors of Social Work Degree (1990) as well as a Criminology Certificate (1990).  Nancy was in Children’s Mental Health for 16 years prior to the Cancer program.  She currently supports both out-patient patients and their families as well as patient’s in the Out-Patient Palliative Clinic.  Nancy is an active member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Caregiver Support Committee as well as Cancer Care Ontario Sexual Health Committee and she supports patients and their partners with their sexual health needs.

Nancy will provide an overview of social work services within the cancer program, how to refer, how the social work program supports patient’s/families and caregivers and the importance of emotional, psychological and sexual support.  She will bring pamphlets and a resource for those that wish to take one. The Hospice venue is again available to us for this upcoming meeting.  Masks are no longer required, we just ask that all participants sign in when they enter the building (sign-in is in the entryway). COVID screening forms are not needed at this time. If possible, please bring snacks as we have done in the past. 

Future Planned Monthly Meetings
Don’t forget that our December holiday party will be at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 (Howard Ave.) on Tuesday 13 December, which is coincident with that Legion’s bi-weekly $10 all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner.  This turned out to be a great venue last year. The Legion cordoned off our own hall and many members brought pot-luck desserts.  So please mark it on your calendars and start baking goodies for the event.  If you plan to go, please let us know so that we can get an idea of numbers.

For the upcoming 2023 winter meetings (February to May) the following doctors have indicated a desire to meet with us and provide a presentation:

Dr. Igor Gaisinsky  (Diagnostic Radiology);

Dr. Jonathan Peng (Radiation Oncologist); and

Dr. Ryan McLarty (Urologist), who is new to Windsor.

If there are other ideas you have for presentations, please let us know.


2022 Grow-On Campaign

The Grow-On Windsor 2022 campaign kicked off last Friday and continues through the month of November. Our team site is now set up and can be accessed at this link:

(https://www.canadahelps.org/s/nhzetE)

We would be pleased to have as many of you as possible as team members to spread the word to your family, friends and associates. Simply follow the above link and click on the “Join This Team” button.

If needed, Jim Fair can help if you run into any issues.

Awareness Presentations to Companies and Organizations – We have been giving awareness presentations to various organizations (VistaPrint, Royal Canadian Legion, CARP, etc.). If you are aware of any company or organization who might be interested in having us join a Health & Wellness presentation, please let us know. Thanks to Murray, Greg, Jim L., Guy, Noel, Brian, Don, Jim F. and Garry for helping out with these awareness activities. We have a good supply of our new brochures. Please pick up some at the November meeting to take with you to your medical professional appointments.

Hockey Games – We recently manned awareness booths at the LaSalle Vipers and the Lakeshore Canadiens hockey games and will be manning an awareness booth at the Windsor Spitfires game (12 November).  Thanks to Wayne, Garry and Jim for your help. If you are interested in participating, please let us know.

Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps – Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps with our new logo are available to order.  If you are interested in buying shirts ($30) or caps ($20), please let us know. Prices include all taxes and shipping costs.

Prostate Cancer Support Canada 2022 Virtual Conference – You can view recordings of the presentations and download any available slides by visiting this link: https://mailchi.mp/prostatecancersupport/2022pcvcday1.

Membership and Volunteers – If you are aware of other potential new members, please let us know.  We would also welcome women and others who are not survivors but who want to help.  If there are other areas that you would like to volunteer for, please let us know. Please get involved!!!!

Garry

Garry W. Loeper, CD, MScEng, PCIP, PMP, PEng

e-mail: gwloeper@gmail.com

cell: (613) 913-4799

September – October 2022 News & Events

Prostate Cancer: Data, Statistics, and Incentives
(Why We Still Lack Answers to Important Questions)
SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2022 | 11:00am Pacific (2:00pm Eastern)
Examples of some important questions:
Is PSA screening for prostate cancer a positive public health measure?
What is the value of curative treatment to the individual patient or to the population at risk and how is it best measured?
Which of the several treatment variations are the most effective?
And does that even matter, given the rapidly changing patterns of practice?
The problem is that these are extremely difficult questions to answer. The ‘Why’ is interesting.
Join us for this intriguing discussion with:

Dr. William James Morris, BSc, MSc, MD, FRCPC
Radiation Oncologist, Vancouver Centre, BCCANCER (retired 2018)
Clinical Professor, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
Register Here
Partners in Prostate – Support Group for Partners
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022 | 6:00pm Pacific (9:00pm Eastern)
Some say the impact of prostate cancer on the partner or caregiver of the patient can be just as difficult as the impact on the patient.

Partners, wives, husbands, girlfriends, and partners of all kinds are welcome to join this partners-only meeting. 

This group is a safe space for partners of prostate cancer patients to meet and share their thoughts, questions, experiences, and ideas with other partners. 
Register Here
Advanced Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH | 4:00pm Pacific (7:00pm Eastern)
Advanced prostate cancer patients include anyone with cancer that has spread (metastatic), with a castrate-resistant cancer (no longer responds to first-line ADT), or with a high-risk or complex diagnosis.

Sign up for the Advanced Prostate Cancer mailing list to ensure you’re informed about upcoming meetings.

Register for the October meeting here. 
Active Surveillance Support Group
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13TH | 4:30pm Pacific (7:30pm Eastern)
This group’s goal is to empower men newly diagnosed with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer to make informed decisions with their physicians on active surveillance as a non-invasive treatment option. 

Sign up for the Active Surveillance mailing list to ensure you’re informed about upcoming meetings.

Register for the October meeting here. 
Looking for local prostate cancer support group meetings?
Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Canada calendar here.

September 13, 2022 Support Group Meeting

You can help us raise awareness about the #1 cancer in men by visiting the Prostate Cancer Support Canada Awareness Month website.

It’s a quick guide for what anyone can do to learn more about prostate cancer and raise awareness including:
social media posts you can share,
profile picture frames you can use on Twitter or Facebook,
links to send a free Reef Knot Kit to anyone in need – anywhere in Canada,
and more.

We hope you and your friends will take advantage of this fantastic resource to raise awareness about the cancer closest to all of our hearts.

Together, we can put the #1 cancer in men behind us.
I’m ready to raise awareness

Hello Windsor/Essex Members,

September 13th Monthly Meeting at Legion Branch 594 (5030 Howard Ave., Oldcastle, ON):
Please be aware that, unfortunately, the Hospice venue will NOT be available to us for this upcoming September meeting, due to an unforeseen staff issue. As an alternative, Legion Branch 594 has kindly offered one of their halls for us to use at no charge. This venue is great, with the added bonus of access to a cash bar. Also, the kitchen closes at 7pm, for those who want to show up early for a meal.

Mental health is one of our major themes for this fall. Several Steering Committee (SC) members have taken the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) Peer Facilitator Training, and Nancy Hannon, the Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Cancer Program Social Worker, will be our presenter coming up in November. In keeping with this mental health theme, we are pleased to have Ed Kolar give a presentation on grief counselling for our September meeting, This should hopefully directly benefit anyone attending the meeting, but equally important, should equip us with some tools and techniques when providing Peer Support to the newly diagnosed and their loved ones.

Ed Kolar is a retired teacher and retired Pastor with decades of real world experience having helped hundreds dealing with grief. He is an exceptional speaker with a very dynamic style; his presentations are well received and always prove to be interesting, very relevant, and entertaining. On a side note, Ed is also a “Mad Scientist,” although not relevant to grief counselling, it speaks to his charismatic flair.

Please join us Tuesday, September 13th at 7:00pm

Remaining Fall Program – If you have ideas for presentations for October or the winter months, please let us know. It is our current thought to again have our 13 December Xmas Party at Legion 594, which coincides with their spaghetti night. This worked out well last year, where we also engaged a small band.
Please mark that in your calendars and let us know your thoughts.

In Other News:
We hope all of you have had a healthy and happy summer. While you have been frolicking on beaches and sipping on local wines, your Steering Committee has been very hard at work behind the scenes. Our main efforts have focused on networking with our stakeholders and partners with a view to expanding our community visibility. We deem this to be our main priority, to get the word out locally about our existence, in order to:
 Make sure the newly diagnosed and their families can access our support, which is our primary raison d’etre;
 Attract new members to enable us to achieve our goals, including providing peer support, as well as promoting awareness to the community; and
 Positioning ourselves to get in the face of the community, by attending events, and briefing companies and organizations.
The following summarizes some of the fruits of our labour:
 We have new brochures and a “marketing” banner stand for use with an awareness booth at sports events, company health and wellness fairs, fundraising campaigns, and other community events, etc.;
 We have been briefing organizations such as Legion 594 and the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), etc. We plan to brief many more;
 We met with senior UNIFOR management to help promote our group to employees of large companies;
 We connected with Windsor Spitfires, LaSalle Vipers, and the Lakeshore Canadiens, who are happy to have us man an awareness booth at hockey games this fall; and
 We met with key Windsor Regional Hospital Directors and Urologists, who plan to make sure our promotional material is distributed to Urologists’ offices, and make our existence known to all newly diagnosed.

Spring Get-Together at the Legion Branch 594 – The spring get-together was well attended and enjoyed by all. Since then, Legion 594 has engaged a new caterer with a much improved menu. If all agree, we would hope to repeat the event in the spring 2023.

Hockey Game Visibility – As mentioned above, we will be manning an awareness booth at Windsor Spitfires, LaSalle Vipers, and Lakeshore Canadiens hockey games this fall. If you are interested in participating, please let us know.

Vista Wellness Fair Visibility – We will be manning an information and awareness booth at the Vista Wellness Fair, a day long event for the Team Members of the Vista Windsor printing plant on Advance Blvd. on Friday, September 23rd.

We would appreciate some help, as this is an all day event covering three shifts, 4:30am-6:30am; 9:00am-1:30pm; and 5:00pm-8:00pm. If you are interested in participating, please let us know as soon as possible.

More Community Awareness Events – Please let us know if you have ideas for us to promote ourselves at other sports events, company health and wellness fairs, fundraising campaigns, and other community events, etc. We need to get the word out and we need your help!!!


Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps – We are ordering Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps embroidered with our new logo. If you are interested in buying shirts or caps, please let us know. Shirts will cost approx. $25-$30 and hats $15-$20


Financial Manager and Webmaster – We are still looking for a financial manager and a Webmaster to relieve some workload off current SC members.  If you are interested, please let us know.

Membership and Volunteers – If you are aware of other potential new members, please let us know. We would also welcome women and others who are not survivors but who want to help. If there are other areas that you would like to volunteer for, please let us know. As our networking campaign gains momentum, we will need more horsepower. These are exciting times as we emerge from COVID stagnation!!!! Please get involved!!!!

Garry

July – August 2022 News & Events

A reminder that we do not meet in July or August. Our next scheduled group meeting will be Tuesday, September 13th, 2022. Further details will follow. Enjoy your summer! If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to us at winexpcsg@gmail.com

A request from The Canadian Cancer Society:

Hello,

My name is Sasha Frost and I am the Sr Advocacy Specialist, Public Engagement for the Canadian Cancer Society. To better inform the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), the Canadian Cancer Society has launched a survey to understand the experience of people impacted by high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer. High-risk means there is a greater chance of the cancer spreading. Non-metastatic means the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. We are also seeking feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of the drug abiraterone acetate from those who have had experience with it. The patient or caregiver does not have to have experience with abiraterone acetate to complete the survey, as information on their satisfaction with current treatments is valuable on its own.  

Patients living with and beyond cancer as well as caregivers have first-hand experience of life with cancer and are well-positioned to describe the benefits and drawbacks of currently available treatments and help assess new treatments. Patient and caregiver feedback is critical and will help CADTH develop drug funding recommendations in Canada. This survey will help CADTH decide if they should recommend that abiraterone acetate in combination with prednisolone should be covered in Canada on public drug plans for people with high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer.

If you have cancer patients or their caregivers in your network, we would greatly appreciate if you would share this new online survey. The survey is available in French and English. Please feel free to share this opportunity with patients, caregivers or other networks you are aware of to ensure patient voices are heard.

The survey will take about 15-20 minutes to complete, and the deadline for completion is July 31, 2022. Participation is completely voluntary and responses are anonymous. For more information, view our privacy policy. For more information about providing feedback on cancer drugs, please visit our page dedicated to this subject on cancer.ca. Please note that this survey is not to endorse any specific drug or treatment and is for evaluation only.

We will also be accepting testimonials from those who have high-risk non-metastatic prostate cancer who have tried abiraterone acetate outlining their experience with this medication. If you have someone in your network in this circumstance that would like to submit a testimonial, please let me know.

Thank you,

 Sasha Frost (She/Her) 
Sr Advocacy Specialist (Public Engagement) / spécialiste principale, Défense de l’intérêt public (engagement public)
Canadian Cancer Society / Société canadienne du cancer 

E Sasha.Frost@cancer.ca 
(905) 259-2721
55 St Clair Avenue West, Suite 300 / 55, avenue St. Clair Ouest, bureau 300 
Toronto, Ontario  M4V 2Y7 

It’s hard to believe it’s already July! Wishing you all a wonderful summer no matter where you’re enjoying it. Stay cool, wear your sunscreen, and don’t burn your BBQing!

Note that many support groups are taking a break for August; please check the support group calendar for the most up to date meeting info.
Prostate Cancer Support Coast to Coast
TUESDAY, JULY 26TH, 2022 | 11AM PT (2PM ET)
Dr. David Stewart, medical oncologist is the authour of new book, A Short Primer on Why Cancer Still Sucks

He has published more than 340 peer-reviewed publications. He has also published several Op-Eds in the lay press dealing predominantly with patient access to care, including an opinion piece published in the Ottawa Citizen 2022/06/21.

His areas of research interest have included (among others) resistance mechanisms to anticancer agents and resistance modulation, pharmacology and pharmacogenetics of platinums and other anticancer agents, new drug development and predictive biomarkers in lung cancer, the negative impact of dysfunctional regulation and clinical trial designs on the rate of clinical research progress, and the huge costs of this clinical research dysfunction in terms of increased health care costs and in terms of lives prematurely lost.Our monthly Coast to Coast support group meeting brings together prostate cancer patients and their support people across the country for an expert speaker presentation on varying topics each month, an opportunity for Q&A, and small group support group sessions via Zoom breakout rooms. 
Register now
Partners in Prostate – Partner-Only Support Group
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27TH, 2022 | 6PM PT (9PM ET)

Prostate cancer is commonly referred to as a couple’s disease, due to its impact on not just prostate cancer patients, but their partners as well.

Join us at this partners-only meeting for a chance to share about your journey and learn from the experience of others going through this too. First time attendees will be given priority to share. 
Can’t make it to a meeting? Check out the Partners in Prostate forum where you can chat with other partners 24/7.

Register now
Prostate Cancer Support Toronto
WEDNESDAY, JULY 27TH, 2022
4PM PT (7PM ET)

Dr. Di (Maria) Jiang MD, MSc, FRCPC is an Assistant Professor, Clinician Investigator  in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto and a Medical Oncologist in the  Genitourinary group at Princess Margaret Cancer Center.
 
She will be speaking on the Management of Advanced Prostate Cancer.
 
This session will feature a focus on the current standard of metastatic prostate cancer care and promising new therapies and clinical trials that are on the horizon. As well, it is hoped that a few myths about metastatic prostate cancer will be debunked along the way!
Register Now
Astellas announced reimbursement program for XTANDI (enzalutamide) for mCSPC (metastatic castrate sensitive prostate cancer) patients. Read more here
Click here for a list of research opportunities and clinical trials that have been shared with us this month.
Prostatepedia is a free publication that consolidates the latest research in prostate cancer. The July 15th edition is available here
The Life on ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy) online educational program’s next session will be at 3:00 pm Pacific/6 pm Eastern on July 18th and August 17th. More information available here.
Never miss another meeting, update, or opportunity:
Subscribe to Your Monthly Debrief here.
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Our mailing address is:
Prostate Cancer BC
4-17918 55 Ave Surrey, BC V3S 6C8 Canada

July 2022 News and Events

It’s Summertime! No Support Group Meeting July 11th. Enjoy your Summer.

If you need to talk to us, please email us at winexpcsg@gmail.com

Honora Bay, Manitoulin Island

University of Toronto Study Opportunity for Prostate Cancer Survivors

The Exercise Oncology Lab (PI: Dr. Linda Trinh) at the University of Toronto has an exciting study opportunity for prostate cancer survivors. The study is testing a distance-based program to help prostate cancer survivors sit less and move more. The study is all done in the comfort of their own homes and no study visits are required.

We are looking for prostate cancer survivors across Canada to participate in this study. We are wondering if the Windsor/Essex Prostate Cancer Support group would be willing to help spread the word about this study opportunity with its membership through email, social media, posting flyers, etc.?  

I have attached the consent form, recruitment flyer, and a link to the recruitment video for more information about the study. If you are able to help, we would be happy to provide e-mail templates about the study for you to advertise this research.

Recruitment video: https://www.powtoon.com/s/bIT5QNU61YS/1/m/s

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our research team at the Exercise Oncology Lab at 416-946-5856 or at exercise.oncology@utoronto.ca

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Lamisa

Lamisa Syed

Research Assistant

Exercise Oncology Lab

News & Events from Prostate Cancer Support Canada

Did you know that we offer free yoga classes for prostate cancer patients and their partners?

Fear, anxiety, and a heightened risk of depression and suicide are associated with prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. It has been found, however, that yoga is beneficial for the overall quality of life of cancer patients, with regard to both mental and physical well-being. 

In a recent study comparing men with prostate cancer who practiced yoga with those who didn’t, those who practiced the yoga program saw improvements in their sexual, social, and physical quality of life when compared to those who underwent the standardized model of care. Other interesting results included better antitumor activity and a meaningful reduction in inflammatory cytokines in the yoga group.

These results indicate an overall improvement in the quality of life, immune response, and inflammation of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients who practice yoga.

Butts in Yoga is a free, fun opportunity to improve your quality of prostate cancer. Get startedtoday!
Check out Butts in Yoga


Save the Date for Awareness month!
We’re very excited for you to join us for our 2022 Prostate cancer Virtual Conference.

This year, our Conference will take place over two days: Day 1 will focus on information for our support group leaders and anyone interested in leadership within the prostate cancer space, while Day 2 will be open to anyone interested in learning about the latest in prostate cancer research and quality of life. 

Save the date by clicking on the below link. It will take you to our support group calendar, where you can click on “Add to calendar’ and add a reminder for the event to your Google, Outlook, or Apple calendar!
Save the date for the 2022 Prostate Cancer Virtual Conference

Sign up for the Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter, Your Monthly Debrief, to ensure you’ll receive monthly prostate cancer support updates including:
Upcoming support group meetings, webinars, conferences, and events
Available clinical trials and research opportunities.
The latest news in the Canadian prostate cancer support community.
Reminders to participate in our free exercise and yoga sessions

Sign up for the Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter

Don’t forget that on our support initiative website, prostatecancersupport.ca, you can find:
calendar of upcoming support group meetings across Canada.
Specialized groups to meet unique needs:
Coast to Coast offers expert speakers on different topics each month
Partners in Prostate offers support to partners of patients
The Active Surveillance and Advanced Prostate Cancer groups offer support to those at opposite ends of the cancer spectrum: those with low-grade cancer and those with high-risk cancer
‘Your Monthly Debrief’ archive A growing video library of experts on topics from maintaining intimacy to upcoming research on treatments.

Get support at ProstateCancerSupport.ca

June 18, 2022 Support Group Meeting

Spring Get-Together at the Legion Branch 594

Our summer break is now upon us; as previously mentioned, rather than a traditional Tuesday meeting at the Hospice, we are planning a casual get-together at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594, 5030 Howard Ave., Oldcastle, ON N9H 0M3 on Saturday, June 18th @ 5 pm.

This licenced venue turned out to be excellent for our Xmas party.  The current plan calls for Burgers/Fries (approx. $15), Sausages/Fries (approx $12.50), and Hotdogs/Fries (approx $10).  In addition, the Steering Committee (SC) members will be bringing pot-luck desserts.  If you have a special dessert you would like to bring, please don’t hesitate to bring it along

We want this event to include members, their families & friends of all ages, and special stakeholders such as our friends at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH), Cancer Centre Foundation, Hospice, etc.  If you have suggestions on other friends to invite, please let us know.  Also, don’t be shy to invite others directly yourselves.

Please mark your calendars and let us know (winexpcsg@gmail.com) how many guests you plan to bring so that we can make sure the caterer is prepared.

May Monthly Meeting – We welcomed our guest speaker Tim Brady, Pharmacist and Owner of Brady’s Drug Stores in Belle River, Essex and Tilbury.  Tim’s talk was excellent as it covered topics such as the latest medicines related to Prostate Cancer, Incontinence, and Erectile Dysfunction.  As well, he commented on the government of Ontario’s proposal to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice to assess and treat minor ailments. 

Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps – We are investigating ordering Golf Shirts and Baseball Caps with our new logo.  If you are interested in buying shirts or caps, please let us know (winexpcsg@gmail.com) so we can judge how many to order.  It is currently estimated that shirts will cost approx. $25 and hats $15.

Financial Manager – We are still looking for a financial manager to relieve some workload off current SC members.  If you are interested, please let us know.

Webmaster – We are still looking for a webmaster to relieve some workload off current SC members.  If you are interested, please let us know.

Other Volunteers – If there are other areas that you would like to volunteer for, please let us know.   For example, we are interested in having a few folks make periodic phone calls to our members.

Garry

Garry W. Loeper

e-mail: gwloeper@gmail.com

cell: (613) 913-4799

Other News of Interest

ADT Educational Program Update

Hello everyone, 

We’re reaching out today with an update on upcoming online classes for the Androgen Deprivation Therapy Educational Program. The next online classes will be held on June 16th, July 18th, and August 17th, all at 3:00 PM Pacific time/ 4:00 PM Mountain time/ 6:00 PM Eastern time. Attached is a copy of our program poster.

As you may recall, the online ADT Educational Program is a free resource to help patients manage ADT side effects and engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours (e.g., physical activity). The program provides support to both prostate cancer patients and their partners or loved ones.   

Classes are offered monthly, and patients are asked to register ahead of time at www.LifeOnADT.com. The class is a one-time, live (90 min.), facilitated webinar. After attending, Canadian patients are mailed a free copy of the ADT book (linked below).   

In 2019, we published research data showing that the ADT Educational Program—i.e., the class plus the book—can significantly raise patients’ self-efficacy in managing ADT side effects. However, it is most effective if taken early, before patients are overwhelmed by side effects.  


If you can, please inform the prostate cancer community about upcoming classes. Questions can be directed to Carly Sears at LifeOnADT@gmail.com.   

Thank you for your ongoing support of the program!

Kind regards,   

~Carly

On Behalf of Drs. Lauren Walker, Richard Wassersug & John Robinson

 Carly Sears  

Project Coordinator  

Online ADT Educational Program  

www.LifeOnADT.com  

Phone: 403-465-2640   

Email: LifeOnADT@gmail.com 

Or carly.sears@ahs.ca 

Support Group Meeting Reminder

Tuesday, May 10th, 7 p.m. @ Hospice of Windsor, 6038 Empress Street, Windsor, ON

Guest Speaker – Tim Brady, Chair of the Ontario Pharmacists Association and Owner of Brady’s Drug Stores, Belle River, Essex and Tilbury.

Please join us. All are welcome.

Please complete and bring the following Screening Form for Hospice of Windsor.

May 2022 Support Group Meeting

Please join us as we meet again, in person, for our May 10, 2022 Support Group Meeting at Hospice.

We welcome our guest speaker Tim Brady, Pharmacist and Owner of Brady’s Drug Stores in Belle River, Essex and Tilbury.

Tim’s talk will cover topics such as the latest medicines related to Prostate Cancer, Incontinence, and Erectile Dysfunction.  As well, he’ll comment on the government of Ontario’s proposal to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice to assess and treat minor ailments, such as pink eye, eczema, and urinary tract infections for patients across the province.

Most people will tell you Tim’s just a really nice guy who is easy to talk to. But he’s done a lot of other neat stuff too. He has been a practicing pharmacist since 2000. He has worked in hospitals, large pharmacy chains, and independent pharmacies in both Canada and the United States before opening Brady’s Drug Store in 2014. Tim is currently the Chair of Board of Directors for the Ontario Pharmacists Association, and is a Past President of the Essex County Pharmacists Association and former Ontario College of Pharmacy Accreditation Committee Member. Tim also sits on the Public Advisory Committee for St. Clair College’s Pharmacy Technician program and has presented previously to Prostate Cancer Support Windsor/Essex. And if that isn’t enough, he does national and provincial talks to pharmacy colleagues on patient-centred care.

Tim has received awards for Excellence in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Leadership from Ferris State University in Michigan, and was the Alzheimer Society of Windsor-Essex County’s Philanthropist of the Year in 2012. Tim was also part of the Rotary Vocational Training Team that same year, and travelled to East Timor to help set up rural pharmacies and drug distribution networks.

Please join us Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 7pm at Hospice of Windsor/Essex County, 6038 Empress St., Windsor, ON.

COVID Screening Forms – We are still required to fill out COVID screening forms prior to entry.  In order to expedite the process and reduce any bottleneck at the Hospice entrance, we have attached a blank COVID screening form.  We ask that you print, sign, and bring the form with you if you plan to attend.  Guy Jolin will also be at the door to help the Hospice staff.  Again, we continue to monitor the Hospice requirements and update you should they change.

Saturday, June 18th

Save the Date: Saturday, June 18th @ 5 p.m., Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594, 5030 Howard Ave., Oldcastle, ON N9H 0M3

Join us for a casual evening to kick off the summer season. Watch for further details to follow, along with news and updates on some of our recent activities.

News and Upcoming Presentations from PCSC

A cancer diagnosis is always life-altering and even more so during a global pandemic.

Imagine having your cancer appointments taking place over Zoom or over phone calls and not having the privilege of meeting your doctor face-to-face until the day of your surgery.

Imagine not being allowed to have your partner there for you as you receive your diagnosis or your treatments. Or your partner not being there by your side as you receive your discharge information at the hospital.

We’ve heard stories from patients and partners across Canada struggling for the past nearly two years attempting to navigate an already uncertain journey, through increasingly uncertain times. 

Throughout this time, we’ve worked tirelessly to expand our support services to be available to men no matter where they live or how accessible their nearest cancer centres or support groups may be.

We’ve made it our goal to be there for prostate cancer patients and their loved ones whenever and wherever they need us, because we know that cancer doesn’t stop for pandemics, or holidays, or geography. 

If you need one-on-one support, educational materials, or help finding a support group this holiday season, we’ll still be here for you – just an email away. 

As we continue to support patients and their families this holiday season, we could really use your support too.

Make a donation
Prostate Cancer Support Canada

Wednesday, December 29th, 9:00 pm, Join us for our monthly Partners in Prostate meeting – a support group meeting designed to be a safe space for partners of prostate cancer patients to share their experiences. Can’t make it to a meeting? Check out the new Partners in Prostate website – complete with resources for partners and patients and a forum to meet and chat with other partners.
Sign up for the Partners in Prostate mailing list here.
Register for the December meeting here.

January Coast to Coast 

We’re pleased to have Dr. Kishor Wasan return with an update on his research with Dr. Michael Cox.  Their presentation is titled, ‘SR-BI: An essential component of steroidogenesis in castration-resistant prostate cancer: An update.’
Register in advance.

February Coast to Coast 

In honour of Black History Month, our February meeting will be in partnership with the Walnut Foundation to discuss the increased risk of prostate cancer in Black men. More details to be announced soon.
Register in advance.

March Coast to Coast 

Our March meeting will be focused on exercise and will feature Dr. Kristin Campbell speaking on ‘Exercise: Why does this matter to men after a prostate cancer diagnosis.’
Register in advance.

November 2021 Support Group Meeting

Please join us IN PERSON for our November 9th Support Group Meeting! (See Meeting Notes below)

This month we are pleased to welcome our guest speakers, Dr. Lisa Porter, Executive Director of WE-Spark Health Institute, and University of Windsor Professor of Biomedical Sciences, and Dr. John Trant, Biochemistry Professor from the University of Windsor, who will update us on their Prostate Cancer Research being carried out right here in Windsor/Essex. Please RSVP to winexpcsg@gmail.com to confirm your attendance as seating is limited.

Articles and photos courtesy of University of Windsor Daily News

Lisa Porter and John Trant, shown in this 2019 photo, have received funding through the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation’s Seeds4Hope program to devise new imaging agents for the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

A pair of UWindsor scientists are researching ways to better diagnose prostate cancer.

Lisa Porter and John Trant are developing imaging agents to help oncologists distinguish between different types of prostate cancer. The new agents would fluoresce under near-infrared light that could be used in conjunction with colonoscopies. Diagnoses would be more precise and wait times shorter than with current imaging using positron emission tomography, commonly referred to as PET scans.

“What’s cool about this is you could just use a lamp,” said Dr. Trant. “This would be much more readily available, and we could cut costs a couple orders of magnitude.”

The research is being funded with a $30,000 grant from the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation’s Seeds4Hope program. Since its inception in 2009, Seeds4Hope has awarded $2.3 million to cancer research projects.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, about one in nine Canadian men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetimes. Last year, more than 23,300 Canadians were diagnosed with prostate cancer. About 4,200 will die from it each year.

“The mortality numbers are lower than they used to be, as survival has significantly improved thanks to the development of both targeted therapies and prostate-cancer-specific imaging agents,” Dr. Porter said.

But the imaging could be vastly improved.

Prostate cancer generally begins as hormone-sensitive adenocarcinoma, a disease treated by reducing the body’s production of testosterone and other hormones. But the cancer can evolve and become resistant to the treatment. A second line of therapy can be used, but the cancer can evolve further into an even more aggressive form.

“Our project aims to develop a pair of probes that can distinguish between prostate cancer that is hormone sensitive and prostate cancer that has become treatment resistant,” Trant said. “It can also help determine if a cancer is progressing from one stage to another.”

Trant and Porter are experienced cancer researchers who have collaborated on projects tackling the most aggressive forms of the disease. Their research has been funded by provincial and federal agencies, as well as local ones.

“We’re thankful for the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation and all its generous donors who give to the Seeds4Hope program,” said Porter. “The program continues to support cutting-edge research right here in Windsor-Essex.”

—Sarah Sacheli

John Trant has been awarded a $120,000 grant through the Cancer Research Society to devise a new way to diagnose prostate cancer.

Oncologists may soon have a new tool to outsmart prostate cancer thanks to research by UWindsor biochemistry professor John Trant.

Dr. Trant is developing imaging agents to help oncologists distinguish between different types of prostate cancer. The agents would offer better, quicker, and cheaper diagnoses than current imaging techniques.

“We are developing the next generation of imaging probes so clinicians can quickly determine the location of the tumour and help determine if the cancer is progressing from one stage to another,” Trant said.

“Early detection of cancer is one of the driving forces behind increased survival, however, with prostate cancer, just as it is important to learn if cancer is present, it is important to know if the cancer is changing.”

Trant’s research got a $120,000 funding boost last week from the Cancer Research Society, a registered charity that raises money for Canadian cancer research. The society announced $9.6 million in funding for 80 projects around the county. Trant’s was one of two UWindsor projects that received funding. The other is breast cancer research led by biology professor Munir Rahim.

Prostate cancer generally begins as hormone-sensitive adenocarcinoma, a disease that can be treated by reducing the body’s production of testosterone and other hormones, Trant explained. But the cancer can evolve and become resistant to the treatment. A second line of therapy can be used, but the cancer can evolve further into an even more aggressive form.

Zeroing in on a specific protein associated with the disease, Trant is developing a pair of probes that attach themselves to the protein, allowing doctors to distinguish between prostate cancer that is hormone sensitive and prostate cancer that has become resistant to treatment.

The agents Trant is developing would fluoresce under near-infrared light. Doctors could use a lamp that emits such light during colonoscopies to detect the agents. Diagnoses would be more precise and wait times shorter than with current imaging, which uses positron emission tomography, commonly referred to as PET scans.

“This would be much more readily available, and we could cut costs dramatically,” Trant said.

His research, started with UWindsor biomedical researcher Lisa Porter, received initial funding from the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation’s Seeds4Hope program. The latest funding through the Cancer Research Society will allow the team to expand its research over the next two years and collaborate with clinicians at cancer centres.

Last year, more than 23,300 Canadian men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, about one in nine Canadian men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetimes, and 4,200 will die from it each year.

Since its inception, the Cancer Research Society has invested $326 million in cancer research.

“As a leader in the field of cancer research in Canada, the Cancer Research Society is determined, now more than ever, to contribute to preventing, detecting, and treating all types of cancer as demonstrated by the success of our annual grant competition,” said president and CEO Manon Pepin. “Each donor and partner can be sure that the donations collected will have a major impact for patients diagnosed with cancer, as well as for their loved ones.”

— Sarah Sacheli

Meeting Notes

Bring a coffee, tea or water and join us. New patients and their supporters are always welcome.

A big thanks to Hospice of Windsor & Essex County for opening their doors to us again. Meeting details are as follows:

Tuesday, November 9th, 2021 @ 7:00 p.m.

Hospice of Windsor & Essex County

6038 Empress St., Windsor, ON N8T 1B5

Please respect the following requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

All participants must wear masks and complete required screening forms upon entry. Prostate Cancer patients are not required to provide proof of vaccination, however, all other guests must do so (confirmation of double vaccination at least 14 days before)

Masks must be worn by everyone at all times while on the premises.

Individuals are welcome to arrive with their own beverages or snacks. Alcohol is prohibited on Hospice premises. No coffee, tea, etc., will be provided by Hospice.

Please RSVP your attendance to winexpcsg@gmail.com as seating is limited to 30 people.

We do hope you’ll join us.

Prostate Cancer 101 Video

A plain talk discussion of Prostate Cancer featuring Denis in the starring role along with supporting performances by Jim, Don, Wayne, Noel and Greg. Surely worthy of award nominations!

Our thanks to Greg for coordinating and directing, and to Prostate Cancer Canada, Families First, Windsor Mold Group, Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation, WFCU Centre, and Windsor Spitfires for their support and participation.

Please feel free to share.

No Support Group Meetings in July or August

Just a reminder that we don’t hold Support Group meetings in July or August. Our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 10th @ 7:00 pm at Hospice of Windsor-Essex County. Further details will follow.

Newly diagnosed and need support now? Follow this link to our website:

Enjoy your Summer!

June 2019 Support Group Meeting

For our June 2019 Support Group Meeting, we welcomed our guest speaker Tim Brady, Pharmacist and Owner of Brady’s Drug Stores in Essex and Belle River.

Tim was elected to the Ontario Pharmacists Association (“OPA”) Board of Directors as a District Representative in June 2016.  He has been a member of the OPA Insurance Committee since 2013 and has been a Board member with the Essex County Pharmacists Association since 2005 (he served as President from 2010-12).

A graduate of Ferris State University with a BS in Pharmacy, Tim is the pharmacist owner of two independent pharmacies in Essex County. Prior to opening his own pharmacy, Tim worked locally as a Pharmacist for a number of years.

Tim was the lead pharmacist in the “We Can Quit” program for smoking cessation, and a member of the 2011 Rotary District 6400 Vocational Training Team to East Timor.

His talk covered topics such as “Medical Cannabis as an Aid in Prostate Cancer” and the latest medicines related to Prostate Cancer, Incontinence, and Erectile Dysfunction.  Our thanks to Tim Brady for this down to earth talk on Sex, Life, and Prostate Cancer.

May 2019 Support Group Meeting

For our May 2019 Support Group Meeting, we welcomed our Guest Speaker Diane Mulcaster, RN BScN MHS, Training Facilitator for Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community. Diane is a Registered Nurse with over 40 years of experience working in both hospital and community settings. She completed a Master’s Degree in Health Studies at the age of 59 and believes in lifelong learning and growth. Currently Diane works with the Windsor Essex Compassion Care Community and conducts various types of group workshops.
Diane’s topic was “Strategy to a Happy Life”. Her talk touched on coping with anxiety, loneliness, and depression as it relates to Prostate Cancer patients.

April 2019 Support Group Meeting

For our April Support Group Meeting, we welcomed our Guest Speaker, Dr. Siyaram Pandey, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Windsor.  He obtained his PhD from Jawaharial Nehru University (Delhi) and the Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India, did postdoctoral training at McGill University, worked at National Research Council as associate and Research Officer before joining the University of Windsor in 2000.

Dr. Pandey’s research is focused on apoptosis (cell suicide), which is central to various aspects of human health including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. He has published more than 84 research articles, and has 5 patents. He was the President of Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada from 2013-2015, is  currently the Founder Director and CSO of the Windsor Botanical Therapeutics Inc. Toronto. His group is known for their discovery of the novel natural anti-cancer compound Pancratistatin, and Dandelion Root extract which is in clinical trial for blood cancer patients. His group in collaboration with Dr. Arnason’s lab at the University of Ottawa has pioneered discovery of different novel natural extracts with very selective anti-cancer activities.

Teaching and research are Dr. Pandey’s passion.  He has been awarded Teacher of the Year award two times (2004 and 2007), Mayor’s Innovation Award, City of Windsor 2017, Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching 2007, Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman, 2016. This award is given to non-resident Indian at the House of Lords, London UK by NRI Society of India. Faculty of Science Performance Award for 2014, and Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Medal for Outstanding Young Scientists 1992. This is India’s most prestigious national award for young scientists and only 1-2 people receive this award every year in Biology.

Dr. Pandey and his team have been working since 2005 on pancratistatin, demonstrating its cancer-killing properties. He spoke to us about his team’s ongoing research into the anti-cancer effects of Dandelion root and lemongrass extracts  in human prostate cancer; interaction with standard chemotherapeutic drugs, and the possibility of using them as adjuvant with standard chemotherapy.P

Thanks to Kingsville Public School!

Our thanks to the students and staff of Kingsville Public School, home of the “Kingsville Cobras”, for their generous donation of the proceeds of their Movember Spirit Day! We will ensure that your funds are put to good use in the local fight against Prostate Cancer. Great job!

March 2019 Support Group Meeting

After our February 2019 Support Group Meeting was cancelled due to poor weather conditions, we were very grateful that Stacey Dusik  agreed to join us as the speaker for our March 2019 Support Group Meeting. Stacey is the Operations Manager of the OR and PACU at Windsor Regional Hospital, Met Campus.  Stacey has been in a management role at Met campus for the last 4 years.  She was involved in the development of the DaVinci robotic surgery program at WRH Met campus.  She was able to work with the surgeons, nurses, Cancer Centre, Men’s Health Program and Intuitive (robotics company) to develop a robotic surgery program for the community of Windsor/Essex County.  Previous to her roles at WRH, Stacey was at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.  Her role was that of a first assistant and assisted Urologists in over 3,000 robotic surgery cases.  Recently, Stacey was able to successfully complete her Master of Nursing Leadership at the University of Windsor.

Reminder – Dec. 13th Holiday Meeting

CHRISTMAS PARTY

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022, 5:30 PM

ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION BRANCH 594

5030 HOWARD AVENUE, OLDCASTLE, ON N9H 0M3

Please let us know if you’re coming.

In order to assure success, we would like to know the following:

·         Numbers of members and guests who plan to attend;

·         Who will be bringing desserts; and

·         Any suggestions that would make this event memorable.

Please e-mail us (winexpcsg@gmail.com) or contact any of our Steering Committee members; their contact information can be found on our website (www.wpcsg.com/steering-comm

Our Christmas party is planned for a 5:30pm start on Tuesday 13 December 2022 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 594 located at 5030 Howard Ave.; this coincides with that Legion’s bi-weekly spaghetti dinner.  This dinner costs $10/person and normally runs from 4:30pm to 6:30pm; it includes all-you-can-eat spaghetti, salad and a bun. 

The Legion will segregate part of the hall for our members and they will let us remain and enjoy the hall after the dinner has finished and everyone else has left. 

In Other News…….

A couple of opportunities for Prostate Cancer Survivors to help:

University of Toronto – Prostate Cancer Study

The Exercise Oncology Lab (PI: Dr. Linda Trinh) at the University of Toronto has an exciting study opportunity for prostate cancer survivors. The study is testing a distance-based program to help prostate cancer survivors sit less and move more. The study is all done in the comfort of their own homes and no study visits are required.  

We are looking for prostate cancer survivors across Canada to participate in this study. We are wondering if your Prostate Cancer Support Group would be willing to help spread word about this study opportunity with its members through email, social media, posting flyers, etc.? 

I have attached the consent form, recruitment flyer, and a link to the recruitment video for more information about the study. If you are able to help, we would be happy to provide e-mail templates about the study for you to advertise this research.  

Recruitment video: https://www.powtoon.com/s/bIT5QNU61YS/1/m/s  

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our research team at the Exercise Oncology Lab at 416-946-5856 or at exercise.oncology@utoronto.ca 

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. 

Warmly,

Michelle Ha, HBSc

Research Assistant, Exercise Oncology Lab

The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) is seeking storytellers that have been affected by prostate cancer to help us advance our advocacy work. Our Story Centre program is a collection of stories that help CCS to demonstrate how we are making a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer and their families. The storytellers we work with may share their experiences in several ways, from social media or blog posts, to speaking opportunities with elected officials or media interviews.

We are interested in hearing from people with personal prostate cancer experiences or caregivers who wish to share their story to inspire others. In particular, we are looking for people who have lived experience with, or feel passionately about, the following topics:

  • Cancer screening and early detection, including PSA testing
  • Access to care, including the impact of COVID-19 on wait times and staffing shortages
  • Stigma associated with prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment
  • Access to drugs, including limited or unstable access to drugs needed in relation to your cancer journey, or the bureaucracy in gaining access due to the admin involved
  • Palliative care, including home care, grief and bereavement and caregiver support
  • New technology and innovation in cancer care, including new treatments, technology, research investment and virtual care

If you or someone within your support group is interested in participating in our Story Centre program, please email shareyourstory@cancer.ca with the following information:

  • Full name
  • Community/Province
  • Overview of cancer journey
  • Connection to one or more areas of our advocacy work as listed above
  • Connection to Canadian Cancer Society (if any)

These stories help us to raise awareness about who we are, what we do and how we help. Thank you for considering this opportunity.

Thank you,

 Sasha Frost (She/Her) 
Sr Advocacy Specialist (Public Engagement) / spécialiste principale, Défense de l’intérêt public (engagement public)
Canadian Cancer Society / Société canadienne du cancer 

E Sasha.Frost@cancer.ca 
(905) 259-2721
55 St Clair Avenue West, Suite 300 / 55, avenue St. Clair Ouest, bureau 300 
Toronto, Ontario  M4V 2Y7 

Wednesday, December 14th
4 pm Pacific/12 pm Eastern


This group welcomes men and their loved ones dealing with prostate cancer that has spread, that no longer responds to ADT, or is high risk.

Advanced prostate cancer patients deal with unique issues. Come for the information, stay for the support. New attendees are given priority to share. 

REGISTER NOW.
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11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern
Tuesday, December 27th 

Join us for our Coast to Coast support group meeting that will feature special guest speaker, Dr. Stephen Choi. 

Dr. Stephen Choi, recipient of one of our 2022 research grants, will be speaking on his award-winning research focussed on developing advanced prostate cancer drugs.
 
Register now
Wednesday, December 28th
6 pm Pacific/9 pm Eastern

Prostate cancer affects both partners in a relationship. This support group offers a safe space for caregivers and loved ones to share their experiences, triumphs, and concerns. Check out the Partners in Prostate  forum where you can chat with other partners 24/7.

REGISTER NOW.

Tuesday, January 31st
11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern

Following Dr. Phil Cohen’s presentation will be an opportunity for Q&A and support group discussion.
REGISTER NOW.
Sign up for our Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter, Your Monthly Debrief, to ensure you’ll receive monthly prostate cancer support updates including:
Upcoming support group meetings, webinars, conferences, and events
Available clinical trials and research opportunitiesThe latest news in the Canadian prostate cancer support communityReminders to participate in our  free exercise and yoga sessions
Sign up for the Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter

Grow On Windsor


A PERFECT PAIRING GIVE TODAY
Your Support Goes Even Further This #GivingTuesday!
Grow On Windsor 2022 is coming to a close and your support has been incredible. Because of you, the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation can support the purchase of equipment and services to treat men living with cancer right here in our community. Today is #GivingTuesday, and Grow On Windsor’s donation platform, CanadaHelps, is giving an additional 1% boost on all donations made today. 
Give Today, and your support goes even further.

“As a father, teacher, and coach, I was always showing others how to fight and never quit. Lessons I’ve taught others have prepared me for this fight, and fighting cancer is the ultimate fight.”
-Jermaine Jackson, 2022 Grow On Windsor Ambassador. 
Your gift supports Jermaine, and all men living with cancer right here in our community. No one is in this fight alone. We Grow On Together. 
Donate Now & Boost Your Gift

Reminder – Support Group Meeting Tonight

Please join us tonight, November 8th, 7:00pm at Hospice of Windsor, 6038 Empress Street, Windsor. We ask that you simply sign in when you enter the building (sign-in is in the entryway). We are back to a pre-pandemic format. Masks are optional and COVID screening forms are not a requirement at this time. If you wish, please bring snacks as we have done in the past. 

For this month, we are very fortunate and pleased to have a presentation by Nancy Hannon, Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) Social Worker.


Nancy worked at the Windsor Regional Cancer Program for 15 years.  She has her Bachelors of Social Work Degree (1990) as well as a Criminology Certificate (1990).  Nancy was in Children’s Mental Health for 16 years prior to the Cancer program.  She currently supports both out-patient patients and their families as well as patients in the Out-Patient Palliative Clinic.  Nancy is an active member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) Caregiver Support Committee as well as Cancer Care Ontario Sexual Health Committee and she supports patients and their partners with their sexual health needs.

Nancy will provide an overview of social work services within the cancer program, how to refer, how the social work program supports patients/families and caregivers and the importance of emotional, psychological and sexual support.  She will bring pamphlets and a resource for those that wish to take one. Please Join us!

Reminder – Support Group Meeting Tonight

Please join us tonight, October 11th, 7:00pm at Hospice of Windsor, 6038 Empress Street, Windsor. We ask that you simply sign in when you enter the building (sign-in is in the entry way). We are back to a pre-pandemic format. Masks are optional and COVID screening forms are not a requirement at this time. If you wish, please bring snacks as we have done in the past. 

Our speaker will be Jackie McCreary, who will speak to us on “How to Effectively Communicate with Your Healthcare Provider”, focusing on your rights and responsibilities as a patient. Jackie will offer us tips and hints on navigating the health care system, advocating for yourself, feeling empowered and learning better communication skills.

Jackie was an Obstetrical nurse at Met Hospital and has authoured a book “Food for Life, and for Thought”. She also owned From the Heart Boutique, for 32 years, serviing hundreds of women going through chemotherapy and needing hair replacement. 

Other Notes and News of Interest:

Wrapping up the 2022 Prostate Cancer Support Canada Virtual Conference
The 2022 Prostate Cancer Virtual Conference was a success with participants from all across Canada, the States, and even Malaysia and Tunisia!

We were proud to host incredible speakers from across the country including Dr. Richard Wassersug (How to Find Trusted Information), Dr. Linda Carlson (Managing Difficult Emotions with Mindfulness), Dr. Juanita Crook and Dr. Neil Dwyer (Ask a Radiation Oncologist and Urologist), Reanne Booker (Maintaining Intimacy in Partnerships Affected by Prostate Cancer), Justin Lorentz (Prostate Cancer and Genetics), Nicole Baba (Your Most Asked Questions: Incontinence, Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, and More), Dr. Brian Goldman (The Power of Teamwork), and many more.
If you missed the second day of the Conference, you can find the recording on our YouTube channel by clicking here youtube.com/prostatecancerbc,
Using the ‘chapters’ on YouTube, you can easily skip between presentations to find the information that you’re most interested in.
Sign up for the Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter, Your Monthly Debrief, to ensure you’ll receive monthly prostate cancer support updates including: Upcoming support group meetings, webinars, conferences, and events Available clinical trials and research opportunitiesThe latest news in the Canadian prostate cancer support communityReminders to participate in our free exercise and yoga sessions
Sign up for the Prostate Cancer Support Canada newsletter
View some of our recent uploads by clicking on any of the thumbnails below.

New videos are uploaded frequently and can be accessed at our YouTube channel, youtube.com/prostatecancerbc, including the incredible ‘Six Stories: A Celebration of Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer’ forum. 
Donations are always greatly appreciated to help us continue our grassroots work with, and for, prostate cancer patients across Canada.
https://prostatecancersupport.ca/donations/
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