Motorcycle Ride For Prostate Research
by Scott A. Sumner
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation Motorcycle Ride For Dad Fighting Prostate Cancer will again be held this year, Saturday June 18, 2011 beginning at the Keg Restaurant. This highly successful event has raised over $630,000 for Prostate Cancer research in Thunder Bay over the years. Recently the funds have purchased a MR Guided
Prostate Biopsy System at a cost of $111,450. This device when you are investigating the prostate, allows you to look at the suspicious area as a whole and is more accurate than biopsy which might miss the affected area.
1 in 7 men will develop prostate in their life time. In Thunder Bay the incidence of prostate cancer is expected to rise by 67 % by 2014. The Retreads Motorcycle Club, seen as the largest club in Canada with 270 members age 40 or over, the Hogs and Team Code 3 are involved in
the ride and compete to try and raise the most funds.
Barrie Midgley is a prostate cancer survivor and a motorcycle rider. “ In 2000 I was diagnosed and had surgery before 2001 was out. I had volunteered to be part of a test study at the Cancer Centre. It made sense to me to get involved with the people who deal with it. To me it was an insurance policy. I was a part of that group for a couple of years and they found my cancer by giving me my medicals twice a year. I thought who is better to do it than the people running the test. They diagnosed the problem early. I had no idea I had the problem because I had no problems. If I waited for the problems it would have been longer.” said Barrie Midgley.
“ I had surgery to remove the prostate. It went fine and is not a big deal. The tests to find out if you have it were more of an issue. It takes a while to get over it and get everything back to working right but it is gone now and I don’t have to worry about it.” said Midgley.
