“Men in my community are getting the information too late, and by then, it’s an uphill battle.”
Men of African and Caribbean ancestry are 70 per cent more likely to develop prostate cancer and are more likely to face aggressive forms of the disease. Barriers like cost, misinformation and limited access to care mean they’re also twice as likely to die from it.
That’s why the team at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre created PSA Detect and Protect—a mobile, pop-up initiative that brings free prostate cancer testing directly to high-risk communities across the Greater Toronto Area. Made possible by generous donors, the initiative also connects men to follow-up care when needed.
“The reality is a lot of men don’t have a family doctor, some don’t have OHIP,” says Dr. Neil Fleshner, urologist and clinician investigator at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Love Chair in Prostate Cancer Prevention Research. The Princess Margaret delivers this program in partnership with the Walnut Foundation, a Black men’s health and prostate cancer support group. They work together to build relationships with the community and promote screening at their events.
Those efforts reached Rensford, who heard about the program through a pastor at his church. He was first tested in June 2024, where his PSA levels came back slightly elevated. Because he had no symptoms, doctors initially chose to monitor him closely. A few months later, a follow-up showed an increase in his PSA count, and Dr. Fleshner ordered additional testing. A biopsy revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis and he was given treatment options, including surgery.
Now, almost a year later, Rensford is happy, healthy and ‘back on his ride,’ having returned to cycling, running, and enjoying time with his loved ones. “It was a process, but I want other men to know it was well worth it,” he says. Rensford hopes his story encourages other men to act, especially those in his community.
“It was a process, but I want other men to know it was well worth it.”
Rensford de Haan
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