Colorectal cancer screening in Canada: 2021/2022
About this section
This section describes how provinces and territories correspond with individuals after colorectal screening, and how individuals are notified of their results and invited for follow-up with a diagnostic colonoscopy.
Diagnostic follow-up for colorectal screening
Most jurisdictions mail screening results to participants, while primary care providers receive results via fax or an online system. Five provinces and one territory send a recall reminder to participants every two years, with some programs sending a testing kit alongside the recall reminder.
Receiving results for normal colorectal screening test results
P/T | PCP responsible for contacting participants to provide results | Results mailed to participant | PCP receives FIT results via fax/ online system | Other ways to receive normal results |
---|---|---|---|---|
YN | ✓ | ✓ | ||
NT | ✓ (opportunistic) | ✓ | Negative FIT results through the organized screening program receive a letter and phone call from the program directly | |
NU | ✓ | |||
BC | ✓ | |||
AB | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
SK | ✓ | ✓ | ||
MB | ✓ | ✓ | ||
ON | ✓ | ✓ | ✓* | |
QC | ✓ (opportunistic) | ✓ (program)^ | ||
NB | ✓ | ✓ | PCP receives FIT results via mail | |
NS | ✓ | ✓ | ||
PE | ✓ | ✓ | ||
NL | ✓ |
ON: *Lab sends the FIT result to the PCP
QC: ^Once program established
Recall for screening after normal results
P/T | Recall reminder and kit mailed together every 2 years | Recall reminder mailed out every 2 years or when participant is due | Requisition mailed out when participants are due | Patient questionnaire mailed | No formal recall (participant or PCP must initiate screening) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
YT | ✓ | ||||
NT | ✓ | ✓ | |||
NU | |||||
BC | ✓ | ||||
AB | ✓ | ||||
SK | ✓ | ||||
MB | ✓ | ||||
ON | ✓ | ||||
QC | ✓ (program)* | ✓ (opportunistic) | |||
NB | ✓ | ✓ | |||
NS | ✓ | ||||
PE | ✓ | ||||
NL | ✓ |
QC: *Once program established.