Colorectal Cancer Screening

Cancer screening is testing done on people who are at risk of getting cancer, but who have no symptoms and generally feel fine. Colorectal cancer screening increases the chance of finding cancer early when it is more likely to be cured. When colorectal cancer is caught early, 9 out of 10 people can be cured. If you have colorectal cancer and do not get screened, you may miss the chance for early and more effective treatment.

The kind of screening test you get depends on whether you are at average risk of getting colorectal cancer or at increased risk of getting colorectal cancer.

• Someone is at average risk if they are 45 to 74 years old with no first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 
• Someone is at increased risk if they have a family history of colorectal cancer that includes 1 or more first-degree relatives (parent, sibling, or child) with the disease.
  

If you are between 45 to 74 years of age, use a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit to test for colorectal cancer every 2 years. The FIT kit is an easy at-home stool (poop) test used to check for signs of colorectal cancer. The test only takes a few minutes. You can eat, drink, and take your medications as usual before and after the test. 

Ask your family doctor or nurse practitioner to have a FIT kit mailed to your home. 

Call 811 to request a FIT kit if you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

You will receive a letter from Cancer Care Ontario with your FIT kit result. A "positive" result does not mean you have cancer. Ask your family doctor or nurse practitioner about further testing with a colonoscopy.

Individuals with an increased risk due to family history:

For individuals with an increased risk due to family history of colorectal cancer, a colonoscopy may be recommended. Your family doctor or nurse practitioner will send you for the test. If you think you may be at increased risk of getting colorectal cancer, be sure to speak with your family doctor or nurse practitioner.

If you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, you can book an appointment at at the Rural Outreach Clinic in Colborne for assessment and referral for colonoscopy if appropriate. Request an appointment.

Cancer screening is testing done on people who are at risk of getting cancer, but who have no symptoms and generally feel fine.  Your age and family history help your doctor or nurse practitioner figure out when you should get screened for colorectal cancer and what screening test is best for you.

Visit Cancer Care Ontario: When to get screened for more information.

Screening is the best way of finding colorectal cancer early. Most people ages 45 to 74 are at  average risk  of getting colorectal cancer, meaning they do not have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. It is recommended that people at average risk get screened with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every 2 years.

A fecal immunochemical test (the recommended colorectal cancer screening test for most people, also called FIT) is a safe and painless at-home cancer screening test. FIT checks someone’s stool (poop) for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by colorectal cancer or some pre-cancerous polyps (abnormal growths in the colon or rectum that can turn into cancer over time). Here is what you need to know about the FIT:  The test only takes a few minutes to do.

• You only need to collect 1 sample.
• You can eat and take your medications (including vitamin C and blood thinners) as usual.
• Return your completed FIT using the instructions included with your kit. Beginning July 1, 2026, FIT kits are processed through In-Common Laboratories (ICL) as part of Ontario's ColonCancerCheck program. Follow the instructions provided with your kit to ensure your sample is received for testing.
• Cancer Care Ontario will mail you a letter with your test result. Your healthcare provider will receive a copy of your results through the ColonCancerCheck program.
• If your test result is abnormal, it does not necessarily mean that you have colorectal cancer or polyps that could become cancer, but it does mean that additional testing is needed. ColonCancerCheck recommends that people with an abnormal result have a colonoscopy within 8 weeks. For more information on abnormal test results and colonoscopy see the Abnormal FIT Result Frequently Asked Questions page on the Cancer Care Ontario website.
• If your test result is normal, you should get screened in 2 years using FIT. It is important to keep getting screened with FIT every 2 years until age 74. 
• If the lab cannot get a result from your test, you will need to repeat it.

CancerCareOntario FIT Instructions

Flexible sigmoidoscopy is a colorectal cancer screening test. During the test, a doctor uses a small, flexible tube with a tiny camera on the end to look inside the rectum and sigmoid colon (lower part of the colon). They can also take biopsies (tissue samples) or remove polyps (abnormal growths that form on the lining of the colon or rectum). You do not need sedation (medication that helps you relax or sleep) or need to change your diet for a flexible sigmoidoscopy.
You may qualify for colorectal cancer screening with flexible sigmoidoscopy if:

• You are ages 45 to 74.
• You are at average risk of getting colorectal cancer: you do not have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) diagnosed with the disease. 
• You do not have a personal history of polyps that could become cancer (called pre-cancerous polyps) which requires future follow-up.
• You do not have inflammatory bowel disease involving the colon (i.e., Crohn’s disease involving the colon or ulcerative colitis).
• If you do not have any symptoms that could be linked to colorectal cancer.
• If you are due for colorectal cancer screening, which means you have not had a FIT in the past 2 years, flexible sigmoidoscopy in the past 10 years had a normal colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy 10 or more years ago, had small hyperplastic polyp(s) at colonoscopy 10 or more years ago, or had low risk adenoma(s) at colonoscopy 5 or more years ago.

A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a test done by a specialist (called an “endoscopist”) at a hospital or clinic. Your family doctor or nurse practitioner has to order a flexible sigmoidoscopy for you. You cannot arrange to get the test on your own.

• ColonCancerCheck Resources:
• Abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Result Frequently Asked Questions | Cancer Care Ontario
• Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Instructions | Cancer Care Ontario
•  Colorectal Cancer Canada -  Colorectal Cancer | Cancer Awareness & Patient Advocacy Canada

Looking for services outside of our community? Visit checkforcancer.ca

Helpful Websites:

• My CancerIQ | LearnYourRisk
• Screening for Colorectal Cancer

Cancer Care Ontario. Colorectal Cancer Screening. Cancer Care Ontario, Ontario Health.

Central East Regional Cancer Program. Colorectal Cancer Screening.

Last accessed June 17, 2025.