hockey legends guy carbonneau and wendel clark part of a new team hoping to win for canadians with advanced prostate cancer
the former hockey greats continue their involvement in the pros talk prostate campaign, hoping canadians battling the disease prioritize quality of life
4 minute read
carbonneau and clark are using their platforms to build awareness of the role biomarkers play in advanced prostate cancer. supplied
this story is sponsored by
novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc.
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
for canadians, few things remind us of the importance of sharing our ups and downs like a great hockey game. and nothing gets a conversation going like canada’s game, whether your team is a cup contender or in serious rebuild.
what most guys don’t like talking about quite as much is their health. which is what hockey legends guy carbonneau and wendel clark are working to change with their continued involvement in the pros talk prostate campaign. since 2023, they’ve been building awareness of the role biomarkers play in prostate cancer and encouraging men to get off the bench for their health.
this time around, they’re focusing on encouraging men with advanced prostate cancer, whose cancer has spread outside the prostate, to build a gameplan and goals centred around quality of life with the support of meaningful conversations with their doctor.
“i was fortunate enough to have a great career in hockey,” says carbonneau, of his role in the campaign. “and once you’re done, you want to find purpose. i have a platform and hope to use it to reach the right people.”
countless men look up to carbonneau, who, in 1993, was the last captain of a canadian team to lift the stanley cup.
“i’m human too,” says carbonneau. “i’m not always the best at talking about my own health. and i can’t imagine how hard it would be to have a tough prognosis and have to talk about it. but if i can be out there talking about advanced prostate cancer, hopefully other guys will see it’s okay for them to talk about it as well, and to have those conversations with their doctors and family.”
sponsored by:
novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc.
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carbonneau encourages men not to underestimate the value of friends and family as teammates that can offer support.
“in hockey, when things are going well, you play alongside your teammates. but when things go badly, you need to rely on them more. life is the same.”
the most common cancer affecting canadian men
for wendel clark the motivation to stay involved is the fact that prostate cancer affects so many people in canada.
according to 2024 information from the canadian cancer society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among canadian men, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers. on average, every day 76 canadian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 14 die from it.
advanced age is a major risk factor, as well as family history, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and obesity.
adored for his skill, grit and leadership with the toronto maple leafs, clark now spends much of his time giving back to the community. “when it comes to men’s health, prostate cancer really is the big one for me,” reflects clark. “us guys aren’t always the smartest in terms of staying on top of our health, so i’m doing my part to bring awareness and help men with advanced prostate cancer live their best lives.”
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clark compares it to getting ready for a hockey game — studying your opponent gives you an edge. likewise, he believes that for men with advanced prostate cancer, being well-informed is important.
“the pros talk prostate campaign has a downloadable playbook on the website for people to check out. there’s a lot to know about biomarkers and what they mean for your treatment plan.” he continues, “if you have advanced prostate cancer, you want to be up to speed on the latest information and have your own personal game plan in place.”
the importance of biomarkers
when it comes to knowledge about prostate cancer, dr. ricardo rendon is a canadian all-star. the president of the canadian urological association and chair of the canadian urological oncology group, dr. rendon is also a professor in the department of urology at dalhousie university.
dr. rendon says, “biomarkers can play a role in men with advanced prostate cancer.”
dr. ricardo rendon is the president of the canadian urological association and chair of the canadian urological oncology group. supplied
“biomarkers can be used for detection and selection of treatment. they can also tell us if treatment is working or not,” dr. rendon elaborates. “psa (prostate-specific antigen) is one useful biomarker. high levels of psa can be an indication of prostate cancer, which is detected through a blood test. many men with prostate cancer might be familiar with a psa test.
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“psma (prostate-specific membrane antigen) is another biomarker, and it’s detected through an imaging procedure,” says dr. rendon. “a psma test can help pinpoint the prostate cancer, whether it’s spread, and where.”
the psma test uses targeted radiotracers to mark where even small amounts of cancer cells are present in the body.
so what makes these biomarkers an important part of a prostate cancer playbook?
“with the use of biomarkers, we can work with patients to create a more personalized treatment plan,” explains dr. rendon.
as information on prostate cancer is changing rapidly, even clinicians have trouble keeping up. that can be hard when going through the difficulties of living with cancer.
that’s why you need your team – your personal support network and your doctors,” says dr. rendon. “they can help you emotionally and help you navigate your treatment journey, as well as make the most of your days ahead.”
if you or someone you love lives with advanced prostate cancer, visit www.prostationcanada.ca for more information about the campaign, to download the playbook or to access additional resources.
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of novartis pharmaceuticals canada inc.
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