Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Ask any middle-aged man and he would probably tell you he spent hours as a boy poring over comic books and imagining himself as a superhero. Boys grow up, yet superheroes rarely seem to age…until now.

Prostate Man is the everyman. He’s over 50, but young at heart. He’s still sporting the uniform, but there’s a little more spread around the waist and a little less hair on top.

Like many men over 50, he’s also taking a closer look at his health; waking up multiple times in the night to urinate has him wondering if he should look for more information about prostate health.

This concept is the driver behind the Take It Like a Man awareness campaign, designed to get men thinking about prostate health while using a little humour to guide them in the right direction. People can visit Prostate Man’s website, www.prostateman.com, to read his interactive comic book and learn more about prostate cancer and prostate health. They can also send e-cards to friends, download a Prostate Man desktop background and take a quiz to test their prostate knowledge.

The multimedia campaign unveils a new direction for prostate cancer awareness in Thunder Bay. It is the brainchild of local firm Generator Advertising and Strategy, and developed in partnership by the Northern Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) and Regional Cancer Care (RCC) at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

“The ‘Take It Like a Man’ prostate cancer awareness campaign, developed more than five years ago, still resonates in the community so we wanted to return to that concept and rework it,” said Generator’s Barry Smith. “Prostate Man is designed to appeal to the baby boomers who grew up reading comics. They can laugh along with this superhero as he comes to terms with getting older, and in turn start thinking about their own prostate health.”

Prostate cancer awareness campaigns have been a priority for RCC and the NCRF, particularly because of high incidence rates and the increased ability to treat the disease when found early. In Canada, prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. In Thunder Bay, the incidence of prostate cancer is expected to rise by 67 per cent by 2014.

“In our previous campaigns, we have attempted to identify the significant issues around prostate cancer, and present them in such a way that the message resonates with our community,” said Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the NCRF. “These social marketing campaigns are essential to successfully educate communities throughout the region of the necessity for healthy lifestyles and awareness to prevent cancer.”

A television commercial, newspaper ads, special Father’s Day cards, posters and billboards will steer people to www.prostateman.com, which is the hub for reliable prostate health information. Alison McMullen, RCC’s Director of Preventive Oncology, said she hopes people will be encouraged to talk to their healthcare provider about prostate health.

“Many symptoms of prostate cancer are natural parts of aging, and do not point to cancer. However, frequent, difficult or painful urination, pelvic or lower back pain, and several other symptoms could be signs of prostate cancer, which is why it is important to be aware of your health and talk to your healthcare provider if you have any concerns,” McMullen said.

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