What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer refers to cancer of the colon or rectum. The colon, which is also called the large intestine or large bowel, is a hollow tube five to six feet long and is coiled within the abdomen. The rectum is the last six inches of the colon. This is not a part of our bodies we spend a lot of time thinking about and certainly not talking about, but the colon is a hardworking organ that helps our bodies absorb water and excrete waste.
Cancer in the colon or rectum can take up to 10 years or more to develop to an advanced stage. This is why it is very important to make regular screening for colorectal cancer a part of your routine health checks.

Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT)

The Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) is the screening method for average risk people between the ages of 50 and 74. It is a simple test that you can do in the privacy of your home. The FOBT is the most widely available test for screening for colorectal cancer.

It is recommended that men and women between the ages of 50 and 74, who do not have a family history of colorectal cancer and do not have symptoms, be screened every two years using an FOBT. Studies show when this screening test is performed every two years, combined with a colonoscopy for those who test positive, it will reduce death from colorectal cancer by 16 per cent over a decade.  (From Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Website)

Nurse Led Flex Sigmoidoscopy Program

A Colon Cancer Screening Program has been implemented at our office, and has been running since early 2012.  The Colon Cancer Screening Program gives our patients access to an appointment with a Registered Nurse (RN) who will review your medical history and help arrange the best colon cancer-screening test for you.

Testing

An FOBT kit can be given to you the patient at the office to take home. You need to have a requisition inside of your FOBT kit in order to send it to the lab for testing.  You can get your requisition and kit at a regular patient appointment, at the nursing clinic, or if you call to pick one up

Appointment Information and Follow-up

To make an appointment with the nurse please contact the Colon Cancer Screening Program at 905-521-2100 extension 75352 to book an appointment to see a Registered Nurse at our office. Please note that this is a confidential telephone line where you can leave a message and personal information

To make an appointment with the nursing clinic, or to organize picking up an FOBT kit please call the office at 905-333-8222.

Your test results for FOBT test and Flex-Sigmoidoscopy/Colonoscopy will be sent directly to your physician to review. If any follow-up is needed you will receive a call from your doctors office.

Letters

Please see the attached PDF for a copy of the letter that has been sent with regards to the colon cancer screening program.

Links

The following links include up to date information about cancer screening: