Alberta Blue Cross® and the Prostate Cancer Centre team up to bring preventative men’s health care on the road
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
September 3, 2026 For immediate release
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and Alberta Blue Cross is partnering with the Prostate Cancer Centre to support life-saving preventative care for men through the mobile MAN VAN® clinic. To help encourage men to get tested for prostate cancer, Alberta Blue Cross, Corus Entertainment and 880 CHED are hosting a battle of the MAN VAN®. On Monday, September 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the MAN VAN® will be at the 880 CHED station in Edmonton (8204-84 Street) and at London Drugs in Calgary (8888 – Country Hills Boulevard).
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among Canadian men and is the third leading cause of death from cancer in men. Often symptomless in its early stages, prostate cancer requires proactive screening to catch it before it becomes more serious. Despite this, men are statistically less likely to seek preventative care.
According to the Prostate Cancer Centre, men are 67 per cent less likely to have a general practitioner and often delay medical attention¹.
The MAN VAN®, operated by the Prostate Cancer Centre, helps close this gap by offering free, on-the-spot Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) blood tests to men ages 40 to 70. As Alberta’s only mobile men’s health clinic, the MAN VAN® brings essential screening services directly to communities, especially in rural or underserved areas. Select clinics also offer blood pressure and blood sugar checks, giving men a broader picture of their health.
“We know men don’t always put their health at the top of the list, which is why making screening easy and
accessible is so important,” says Jeff Davison, chief executive officer of the Prostate Cancer Centre. “The MAN VAN® goes to where the men are, removes barriers and makes it easy for them to take that simple first step. With 1 in 6 Alberta men facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, chances are it will affect someone you know and care about, whether that’s a husband, father, brother, friend or colleague. A simple blood test can make a life-changing difference. We are incredibly grateful to Alberta Blue Cross for supporting our MAN VAN® program and making a difference in the lives of countless Alberta men and their families.”
As a proud sponsor of the MAN VAN®, Alberta Blue Cross is helping expand the clinic’s reach by ensuring more men have access to these potentially life-saving tests at no cost and with no appointment needed.
“There are 2,700 new cases of prostate cancer in Canada every year and, on average, 14 Canadian men will die from prostate cancer every day²,” says Brian Geislinger, senior vice-president of Corporate Relations and Community Engagement with Alberta Blue Cross. “If you’re a male age 40 or over, do yourself a big favour and get a PSA test—it could literally save your life. And, if you have a similarly aged male in your life, please encourage them to get tested too.”
Geislinger notes that men of Indigenous or African ethnicity have twice the rate of prostate cancer as Caucasian men, and that 100 per cent of prostate cancer cases are treatable if caught early3.
Upcoming MAN VAN® clinics and locations are available on the Prostate Cancer Centre’s website.
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About Alberta Blue Cross
As the largest provider of health benefits in Alberta, we believe we have the potential and responsibility to impact people’s lives for the better. We believe all communities should thrive, and we are committed to serving as a champion for wellness by promoting the health of Albertans.
About the Prostate Cancer Centre
The Prostate Cancer Centre, in partnership with the Southern Alberta Institute of Urology, is a charitable organization and world-class medical centre dedicated to the fight against prostate cancer. For more than 20 years, we’ve been advocating for equitable access to healthcare for all men across Alberta.
For more information, please contact Katelyn Pretzlaff, senior communications officer, Corporate Communications, Alberta Blue Cross at kpretzla@ab.bluecross.ca or 587-643-8580 or Stacey Smith, director of fund development, Prostate Cancer Centre at Stacey.s@prostatecancercentre.ca or 403-589-8401.
Sources:
³ Prostate cancer risk in the Black community | Canadian Cancer Society