Van with a plan bringing crucial cancer test to men in the bush

What do you do when the tyranny of distance makes it difficult for country men to access a crucial cancer test? You bring it to them – on four wheels.

Country roads

Queensland Health provided $400,000 to Heart of Australia and It’s A Bloke Thing Foundation to deliver mobile prostate cancer screening in central Queensland.

It follows the success of the joint initiative in regional and remote areas across southern Queensland, which hit the road in March.

The program delivers Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing to men over the age of 50, or men under 50 with a family history of prostate cancer who are not already getting regular checks with their GP.

So far, 353 patients have been seen in southern Queensland and, from May, another 189 men in 13 towns were seen across central Queensland.

From the tests conducted, 12 per cent of men were referred on for further testing.

In total, more than 500 men in the bush have been tested via the mobile service in the past six months alone.

Early detection

The PSA blood test is delivered by Heart of Australia’s team of Clinical Nurses like Tiki Baker-Pearson.

Ms Baker-Pearson said early detection via testing like this was crucial to saving lives.

It is estimated that 30 per cent of all new cancer cases diagnosed in Australian men in 2025 were prostate cancer.

Regional and rural men diagnosed with prostate cancer face a 24 per cent higher mortality rate than their city counterparts.

“We know this disparity is linked to later diagnoses because men in country areas have lower rates of testing and limited access to specialist services,” Ms Baker-Pearson said.

“What we are testing for is elevated levels of PSA in your blood. This is a sign of prostate issues, including prostate cancer.

“While this doesn’t diagnose you with prostate cancer, it is an important first step to check for any issues with your prostate. If there are issues, we can support you into the right follow-up care.”

Heart of Australia founder Dr Rolf Gomes said it was important to provide this service directly to men who would otherwise find testing difficult to access.

“Many of the men we’re seeing with our mobile service were not being tested regularly,” Dr Gomes said.

“Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men in Australia and around one in five are at risk of being diagnosed in their lifetime.

“Many men won’t experience any immediate symptoms in the early stages of prostate cancer, so getting tested early is key.”

It’s A Bloke Thing Foundation Chairman Jack Wagner said it was important for men to have the healthcare they need, no matter where they call home.

"We want to change the way men in the bush view their prostate health and encourage them to be proactive not reactive,” Mr Wagner said.

“Early detection saves lives, and this program is the first step in achieving that.”