Early detection of any cancer greatly increases the likelihood of successful treatment, often with less aggressive therapies. 

This is especially true in the case of “silent cancers” which evade detection because they have no symptoms, or if they do, the symptoms are easily explained by a more benign condition, such as a cough that is attributed to allergies, when the actual cause is lung cancer. 

Cancers, such as pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal, which impact internal organs deep within the body, are not easily felt or spotted during a routine physical examination.  Screening tools, such as PAP smears, mammograms and colonoscopies are widely used to test for these common cancers. 

Prostate cancer is described as a silent killer because there are generally no symptoms until the cancer is advanced. The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that in 2026 an estimated  29,300 Canadian men (or individuals with a prostate) will be diagnosed with it, and 5,300 of them are expected to die from the disease. This represents 11 percent of all cancer deaths in men this year.  

Early detection is possible through a simple blood test: The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test was introduced and licensed in Canada for managing and diagnosing prostate cancer in 1986 and came into widespread use as a general screening tool beginning in the early 1990s.  

Currently, the cost of PSA screening for early detection, with a referral from a healthcare provider, is covered by provincial healthcare systems in Canada’s three territories and eight provinces. It is not covered in British Columbia and Ontario, unless the patient already has symptoms or a diagnosis of prostate cancer and for post-treatment monitoring. Among the reasons for not covering the roughly $40 cost of the test is the number of false positives and unnecessary biopsies. The cost is also not generally covered by private insurance plans, such as Canada Life.

The Canadian Cancer Society is strongly urging the governments of Ontario and British Columbia to “cover 100 percent of the PSA test through their provincial health insurance plans for asymptomatic men and people with prostates with a healthcare provider’s referral. There should be no cost barrier to anyone who would like to test early for prostate cancer before any signs or symptoms.”

The chances of early detection should not depend on where you live.

Heather Jamieson in Ottawa, Canada / September 2026