The Kelowna Prostate Cancer Support & Awareness Group was started by Bren Witt in November 1996. Bren continues to facilitate the support group's monthly meetings today. Bren Witt was formerly the Executive Director of the Okanagan Prostate Resource Centre Society, a position he held from the Society's inception in February 2001 until it closed on December 31, 2017.
Our referrals come from local urologists, general practitioners, radiation oncologists from the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) Centre for the Southern Interior located in Kelowna, as well as word of mouth. Many men come directly here after receiving a diagnosis from their urologist.
Bren Witt is the Kelowna Prostate Cancer Support & Awareness Group's Facilitator. Bren will spend two or three hours with a man who has been newly diagnosed, allowing him time and freedom to express his concerns and ask questions (for example, how long they’ve likely had cancer, how will treatment affect their sexual function, their eligibility for nerve-sparing surgery etc.).
We are not medical practitioners and we do not diagnose or treat prostate cancer, but because of Bren's own experience as well as his vast knowledge based on years of research, he can talk about different treatment options and possible side effects. Often, he can assist men in formulating questions to direct to their doctors, so they can become better informed of the specifics of their personal situation.
We have an excellent relationship with the local urologists as well as the radiation oncologists at the BCCA centre in Kelowna. Both are regular speakers at our support group.
Bren Witt's personal collection of books and videos has become a makeshift lending library. The pharmaceutical companies, Canadian Prostate Health Council, CPCN and CCS are generous donors of pamphlets, audio tapes, CD ROMs and other resources.
Some interesting items we have at the centre include several models of the prostate and other urological medical appliances. We also have two blocks of Bren's own prostate gland and some biopsy tissue samples. We found that many men actually appreciated seeing these concrete examples of what’s causing the problems in their body.
Bren is able to help men educate themselves on issues not only pertaining to prostate cancer, but also to other important male health issues including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, incontinence and more.
There is no cost to any of our services.
In an effort to educate the general public, Bren Witt,long-time facilitator of the Kelowna Prostate Cancer Support & Awareness Group, is available at no charge to speak on prostate cancer to Service Clubs or other organizations. His presentation is about 30 minutes long and does not need any power setup or screens.