Colorectal cancer early detection key to better survival rates - Prince George Citizen

On the average day in Canada, 67 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer.

Also known as colorectal cancer, for Canadians, it's the third most-common type of cancer. It accounts for 11 per cent of all of the country’s annual cancer deaths.

Almost always, it starts with non-cancerous polyps, small growths that occur in the colon, bowel or rectum.

“There are often no symptoms in the early stages, but if it is picked up early the outcomes with treatment are much better than if the diagnosis is delayed,” said Dr. Paul Mullins, Northern Health’s medical lead for colon screening.

“This is why screening for it is so important. Screening can save lives in two ways. Polyps in the colon or rectum can be seen and removed before they develop into cancer. Early cancers can be identified, and by early detection more treatment options are available with better outcomes.”

In Canada, 93 per cent of colon cancers are in people aged 50 or older. Men have a one in 14 chance of getting it in their lifetime and it’s one in 18 chance for women.

Of those who do get it, 65 per will survive at least five years after that diagnosis.

Age, family history, inactivity/obesity, smoking/alcohol use, a diet rich in red and processed meat raise the risk factor. People with colorectal polyps or who have had inflammatory bowel disease are also more at risk.

Race can also increase the likelihood. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among black people in the U.S.

Mullins advises people to consult their family physician or other primary care provider to arrange for colorectal cancer screening. Patients will receive a fecal immunochemical (FIT) test kit to collect a stool sample and return it to the lab, which tests for the presence of blood, an early cancer sign.

Since 2015, Northern Health has followed a primary care provider-led approach. The health-care provider orders the screening and refers those patients with a positive test directly to a specialist for a colonoscopy.

Unattached patients can get screening requisitions from a doctor at a walk-in clinic or from a virtual health provider and that person will receive the test results and will follow up with the patient.

Outside of Northern Health, the other four health authorities in B.C. provide colon cancer screening services administered through a provincial program. Both ensure patient access to screening programs.

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Colorectal cancer early detection key to better survival rates - Prince George Citizen
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