Supreme Court rejects B.C. man's prostate appeal

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal by a British Columbia man who thought it was unfair that he had to pay for a prostate screening test.

Laurence Armstrong of Victoria brought the appeal because he said it was unfair he had to pay $30 for a prostate specific antigen test, or PSA test, to screen for prostate cancer, while women got free cancer-detection tests.

Armstrong argued that it was unfair that women who have no cancer symptoms can get free tests to detect cervical cancers at any age, and mammograms to detect breast cancer between the ages of 40 and 79.

Armstrong had no symptoms of cancer, and was over the age of 40 when his doctor ordered the test.

Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia reinstated a ruling by a human rights tribunal dismissing Armstrong's complaint.

The tribunal ruled that Armstrong had failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination.