|
NDP Health Critic Dave Wilson Calls for Regular Colorectal Cancer Screening |
|
|
|
Written by NDP News Release
|
|
Tuesday, 10 January 2006 |
NDP Health Critic Dave Wilson has written the Minister of Health, Angus MacIsaac, to ask that the Department adopt recommendations that those between the ages of 50-74 are screened for colorectal cancer at least every two years. The recommendations were made by Health Canada's National Committee on Colorectal Cancer Screening and are fully supported by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Statistics Canada estimates that if such a screening program were implemented over a ten year period more than 7,000 lives would be saved, and the National Committee states that deaths from colorectal cancer would be reduced by 15-33%.
"One of the most effective ways we can tackle wait times is to get to diseases before they develop into something major," says Wilson. "This province has the highest incidence of cancer in the country. Early detection is so often the key to successful treatment. These are sensible recommendations from the best of sources. This is the right way to go. Let's give people the opportunity to deal with this disease before it becomes life-threatening."
The National Committee and the Canadian Cancer Society recommend that men and women over the age of fifty have a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) at least every two years and that those that test positive have follow-up testing that can include a colonoscopy, double contrast barium enema (an x-ray of the large intestine), or sigmoidoscopy. Colonoscopies do have some risk factors, including possible death and bowel perforations. However the National Committee estimates the lifetime risk of colonoscopy-related death to be only 0.005% and that the advantages far outweigh the risks.
"Routine colorectal screening in not standard practice in this province and it should be," says Wilson. "So many of us know someone who is alive today because screening caught their cancer early enough for a cure. Let's give more Nova Scotians that chance."
Overall colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the country. |
