As Prostate Cancer Awareness month draws closer, John Hart from a Medicine Hat support group urges testing early and often, as it can save lives.
Hart is originally from British Columbia but moved to Medicine Hat early in his career and has happily been part of the community since. He said he’s largely been fortunate with his health, but as much as this has been luck, it’s also been due to a strong sense of self-advocacy.
“PSA testing was something I wanted to be done early, because a close friend of mine, who's still alive, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 50,” said Hart, who is now 73. While nothing came up as unusual for decades, doctors noticed an increase in his PSA, or prostate-specific antigen levels, in 2021.
As this increase can indicate that someone has developed prostate cancer, Hart was quick to advocate for additional testing, up to the point of paying a private clinic for certain tests in order to get results much faster. 
“At that point they said, ‘Yeah, there's definitely something there,' so I went to get a biopsy done at Rockyview in Calgary,” said Hart. 
This was also when Hart discovered the Prostate Cancer Support Group in Medicine Hat, which he said was quick to supply him not only with a community that understood his circumstances and could offer insight, but information about different treatment options available to him. 
“They gave me something they call a reef knot kit, which was a couple of books about ways to deal with prostate cancer, from early diagnosis to the different types. Everything you would need to know is in those books, including diet, exercise, all of it,” said Hart.
For several years Hart opted for a watchful waiting approach, with PSA testing every six months to monitor the situation. He says there was no significant change for four years, before the cancer began to spread behind the prostate region and showed risks of entering his blood or bones.
“The watchful waiting was good for me. Not everybody wants to do that. It's just get the surgery over and be done with it. But I thought I would try it, because my tests were every six months,” said Hart. “I had a very good team throughout the entire process, I’m not sure I would have waited if they were not so professional. But, since I waited, I had time to decide what surgery I wanted to do.”
Hart opted for total removal via periscopic robotic surgery, and is pleased to share that as of May, he has had no recurrence of cancer, and was fortunate to experience minimal side effects.
“I tell anyone to get their PSA tested, I ask this question to men I meet in random conversations,” said Hart. “I was surprised that a lot of men don't. Prostate cancer has the highest cancer rate for men, but it's also the most curable if you do your due diligence.”
By Anna Smith, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Original Published on Aug 26, 2026 at 22:20

This item reprinted with permission from   Medicine Hat News   Medicine Hat, Alberta


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