Colorectal screening in Canada, 2023-24
About this section
Fecal testing is commonly used as an entry level screening test for colorectal cancer. As of June 2023, all Canadian provinces and territories screen using FIT, although the sampling details for this fecal test differ. Program guidelines determining appropriate screening intervals and screening tests are elements of organized screening programs (WHO, IARC). This section summarizes the testing information of each jurisdiction.
Fecal testing
All provinces and territories offer FIT as an entry level test for colorectal screening. Most provinces and territories require one sample collection for the FIT, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador which requires two. FIT cut-off values also vary across the country, ranging from ≥50 ng/ml to ≥175 ng/ml.
FITs used in Canada
| P/T | Manufacturer | Distributor | Number of samples/ Number of stools | FIT cut-off value | FIT cut-off value (in mcg of Hgb/g of feces) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YT* | Eiken | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥50 ng/ml | 10 mcg of Hgb/g |
| NT | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | >75 ng/ml | – |
| NU | Immunostics Hema-Screen | Abbott | 1/1 | 50 µg of Hgb/g | |
| BC | Eiken | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥50 ng/ml | 10 mcg of Hgb/g |
| AB | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥75 ng/ml | – |
| SK | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥100 ng/ml | 20 mcg of Hgb/g |
| MB | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥100 ng/ml | 20 mcg hHb/g |
| ON | Eiken | Somagen
Polymedco |
1/1 | >150 ng/ml | 30 mcg hHb/g |
| QC | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥175 ng/ml | – |
| NB | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | >100 ng/ml | – |
| NS | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥100 ng/ml | 20 mcg of Hgb/g |
| PE | Polymedco | Somagen | 1/1 | ≥100 ng/ml | 20 mcg of Hgb/g |
| NL | Alfresa Pharma | Abbott | 2/2^ | ≥100 ng/ml | 20 mcg of Hgb/g |
*YT: YT is currently using BC LifeLabs for processing FIT results until the new analyzer is operational
^NL: If 1 of 2 samples is over cut-off value, overall result is positive
-No information was provided at the time the data were collected