PROSTATE CANCER: HELP YOURSELF
Website and Forum
In Canada, no cancer is more common to men than prostate cancer. Health and illness information are integral to the well-being of men who are diagnosed and/or treated for prostate cancer, and more than 100 Canadian based prostate cancer support groups assist men who experience prostate cancer and their partners. The Prostate Cancer: Help Yourself website www.prostatecancerhelpyourself.ubc.ca showcases the findings drawn from Dr. John Oliffe’s CIHR funded study investigating the role of prostate cancer support groups in health promotion.
Featured on the website are video interviews with prostate cancer survivors as well as leading experts in prostate cancer care. Their collective insights to the benefits and challenges to prostate cancer support groups makes compelling viewing. A lively forum also offers visitors opportunities to contribute to the ongoing conversations by posting their thoughts, questions and replying to the messages of others. In addition, the website features e-vites to enable visitors to assist others to find a prostate cancer support group in their region or point to the ‘help yourself’ website to find out more about the groups. Dr. Oliffe suggested that “the site is a wonderful resource for everyone – especially health care providers as well as men who experience prostate cancer and their partners wanting to know how prostate cancer support groups work in Canada”.
The next phase of this research program is also underway and licensed healthcare providers are invited to share their views about prostate cancer support groups by completing an on-line survey at http://bit.ly/SFDICP. Eligible participants will receive a C$50 gift card on receipt of their completed survey. For more information, please contact hcpsurvey@ubc.ca.
A short bio:
Dr. John Oliffe is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing, University of British Columbia. His masculinities and men’s health research program is focused on men’s health promotion as it relates to various issues including prostate cancer, men’s depression and suicide and smoking cessation.
