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Campaign encourages colorectal screening
Wednesday, 19 March 2008 - 3:09pm
Starting in April, Ontarians age 50 and over will be able to get a take-home colorectal cancer screening kit, called a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT), from their health-care provider.
People who have an increased risk of colorectal cancer because of a family history of the disease, and those who have a positive home-screening test, will receive a colonoscopy.
The “ColonCancerCheck” public awareness campaign consists of:
•a cutting-edge television advertising campaign featuring computer generated see-through characters in animation, to be broadcast in 22 languages across the province;
•FOBT kits available to all Ontarians from their health-care provider;
•ColonCancerCheck.ca (a new website with information on colorectal cancer, risk factors, and prevention); and
•education for health-care providers on the importance of screening their patients
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in Ontario. But today, just one in five Ontarians age 50 and over are screened.
“This is a very serious issue,” said Health and Long-Term Care minister George Smitherman.
“Colorectal cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer, and knowing about the importance of screening early and regularly can make the difference between life and death,” he stressed.
“Ontario has one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” echoed Terry Sullivan, president and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario.
“By making colorectal screening part of people’s health care routine, many more Ontarians will not have to suffer through advanced colorectal cancer,” he remarked.
< *c>Quick facts
•On average, about 3,250 Ontarians die from colorectal cancer each year and about 7,800 are newly-diagnosed with the disease each year.
•Regular screening has been shown to decrease the number of people who die from colorectal cancer by at least 16 percent.
•The ColonCancerCheck program is a five-year, $193.5-million program that was launched in January, 2007.
•The take-home colorectal cancer screening kit is called the Fecal Occult Blood Test. It detects trace amounts of blood in the stool.
•Ontarians can obtain a take-home colorectal cancer screening kit from their health-care provider or by contacting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s INFOline.
When caught early through regular screening, there is a 90 percent chance colorectal cancer can be cured.
That’s the message behind a new public awareness campaign called “ColonCancerCheck” that will educate Ontarians about the importance of early screening and detection of colorectal cancer.
People who have an increased risk of colorectal cancer because of a family history of the disease, and those who have a positive home-screening test, will receive a colonoscopy.
The “ColonCancerCheck” public awareness campaign consists of:
•a cutting-edge television advertising campaign featuring computer generated see-through characters in animation, to be broadcast in 22 languages across the province;
•FOBT kits available to all Ontarians from their health-care provider;
•ColonCancerCheck.ca (a new website with information on colorectal cancer, risk factors, and prevention); and
•education for health-care providers on the importance of screening their patients
Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in Ontario. But today, just one in five Ontarians age 50 and over are screened.
“This is a very serious issue,” said Health and Long-Term Care minister George Smitherman.
“Colorectal cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer, and knowing about the importance of screening early and regularly can make the difference between life and death,” he stressed.
“Ontario has one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world, but it doesn’t need to be that way,” echoed Terry Sullivan, president and CEO, Cancer Care Ontario.
“By making colorectal screening part of people’s health care routine, many more Ontarians will not have to suffer through advanced colorectal cancer,” he remarked.
< *c>Quick facts
•On average, about 3,250 Ontarians die from colorectal cancer each year and about 7,800 are newly-diagnosed with the disease each year.
•Regular screening has been shown to decrease the number of people who die from colorectal cancer by at least 16 percent.
•The ColonCancerCheck program is a five-year, $193.5-million program that was launched in January, 2007.
•The take-home colorectal cancer screening kit is called the Fecal Occult Blood Test. It detects trace amounts of blood in the stool.
•Ontarians can obtain a take-home colorectal cancer screening kit from their health-care provider or by contacting the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s INFOline.