The Prostate Cancer Supportive Care (PCSC) Program is a comprehensive survivorship program developed at the Vancouver Prostate Centre for men with prostate cancer, their partners, and their family from the time of initial diagnosis onward. Men can self-refer to this program or be referred by their doctor. A doctor's referral is required for the Sexual Health Service.
Located at the Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre at Vancouver General Hospital, the PCSC Program is a clinical, educational, research-based approach to care, addressing the challenges of decision-making and coping along the entire disease trajectory to serve both the patient and their partner's physical and psychological needs.
The PCSC Program currently includes seven modules which men can take part in and more modules are in development. These modules include group educational sessions and clinical services in the following areas:
- Primary Treatment Decision-making
- Sexual Rehabilitation
- Lifestyle Management
- Androgen Deprivation Therapy
- Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
- Clinical Counselling
- Metastatic Disease Management
Click here for a PCSC Program Summary (PDF opens in a new window)
Click here for upcoming session dates (PCSC website opens in a new window).
The PCSC Program, which includes seven modules for the individual to choose from, is committed to delivering the excellence of its program to prostate cancer patients and their families across British Columbia using virtual health, telephone and/or in-person options. With generous Government of BC funding and in a partnership with BC Cancer physicians, community urologists and other health care personnel across the Province, our goal is to reach every man with prostate cancer who desires supportive care during the entire course of their cancer journey.
In October 2020, the PCSC Program organized an accredited continuing professional development conference for physicians and health care professionals. A video recording of the conference, with talks on on screening, treatment, side effect management and emerging new therapies for breast and prostate cancer, is available on the PCSC website.
The PCSC Program has a strong prostate cancer survivorship program and is currently in receipt of funding from Prostate Cancer Canada, Movember Foundation, and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research to lead or participate in prostate cancer research of national and international significance. The PCSC Program continually conducts research into its own program to ensure it continues to provide the best survivorship care to its participants.
A new website, www.pcscprogram.ca, dedicated to the PCSC Program was launched in December 2017. Over the coming months the PCSC Program team will be focusing on making much of the PCSC Program available online or through telehealth. Sign up for our quarterly newsletter to keep abreast of updates.
The PCSC Program has been made possible with funding from the BC Ministry of Health, Specialist Services Committee (SSC), Prostate Cancer Foundation BC, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, and philanthropic donors, and we thank them all for their incredible support to date.
If you are interested in finding out more about the PCSC Program, please contact:
Monita Sundar
PCSC Program Manager
Vancouver Prostate Centre
Phone: 604-875-4485
E-mail: PCSC
vch [dot] ca
Website: www.pcscprogram.ca
