Russell Wansart, a longtime fan of the Buffalo Sabres, credits a cancer screening event at KeyBank Center for saving his life. After reconnecting with his brother Jeffrey over their shared enthusiasm for the team, Russell attended a game early last season where he noticed a promotion for a prostate cancer early detection screening hosted by the Sabres in partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“If it wasn’t for the Buffalo Sabres and Roswell Park, I probably wouldn’t even be here today,” Wansart said.
The upcoming Prostate Cancer Early Detection Event is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25 at KeyBank Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will offer full examinations and blood draws in private spaces, each lasting about ten minutes. Attendees can also meet former Sabres players and participate in tours of the arena.
Russell initially attended last year’s event to meet alumni but was surprised when his screening detected elevated PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels. Follow-up tests led to a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
“When I got the call from Roswell a couple weeks later it was like, ‘Oh, my god,’” he said.
After his diagnosis in November 2024, Dr. Eric Kauffman and Dr. Ahmed Aly Hussein Aly from Roswell Park managed Russell’s care. Dr. Aly performed robotic-assisted surgery within weeks of the initial screening. Russell spent only one day in the hospital and continues to visit Roswell for physical therapy; he is now cancer free.
He was recognized during the Sabres Hockey Fights Cancer game on November 1 against the Washington Capitals.
Russell emphasized the importance of regular screenings: “They are so important and you just want to tell all the men, get the test, you never know,” he said. “I never, in my life, ever suspected that I had cancer. And without this checkup from the Sabres, I’d have been in trouble.”
Prostate cancer is identified as the most common form of cancer among men. According to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, one out of every eight men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. The organization recommends that men begin discussing baseline PSA testing with their doctor starting at age 45; Black men or those with family history or genetic mutations should consider starting at age 40.
“This prostate (screening) with Roswell and the Sabres is so very important,” Russell said. “I just wish that all men would just come to the screening just to be safe.”
The Prostate Cancer Screening Event will take place on Tuesday, November 25 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., at KeyBank Center located at 1 Seymour Knox III Plaza in Buffalo.
