Quebec to roll out colorectal cancer screening program

Health Minister Christian Dubé revealed that an announcement would be made "very quickly" regarding the deployment of a systematic colorectal cancer screening program in Quebec during the budget review on Tuesday evening.

In an exchange, Liberal health critic André Fortin reminded the minister that a motion was unanimously adopted by the national assembly earlier this month to force the government to launch a province-wide program before the end of its mandate.

"I think we're going to move a little faster and make an announcement soon," said Dubé.

To explain the delay that persists and that prevents the CAQ government from moving forward, the minister said the state of the department's computer systems was to blame.

He nevertheless insisted on the fact that he wanted to take "very short term measures."

The principle that the minister wishes to adopt in his systematic screening programme would be that of a collective prescription granted automatically to all Quebecers on their 50th birthday.

In concrete terms, Quebecers would receive an e-mail wishing them a happy 50th birthday, and the note would be accompanied by an invitation to go to a pharmacy to obtain a colorectal cancer screening test.

As The Canadian Press reported last month, Quebec is the only province that does not offer access to preventive screening tests on demand.

To obtain a test, a prescription must first be obtained from a doctor or specialized nurse practitioner.

The most common test is a simple stool sample taken at home. The sample is then analyzed in a laboratory to check for the presence of blood.

Every year, 2,550 Quebecers die from colorectal cancer. The statistic makes it the second most deadly cancer in Quebec, even though this disease is preventable, treatable and curable according to specialists.

In the case of colon cancer, a lesion detected in time can be treated to prevent the development of cancer.

Moreover, if the disease is diagnosed in its early stages, the survival rate is 90 per cent, according to the Canadian Cancer Society.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 26, 2023.