Rare but real: colon cancer at age 24

Screening is the most effective way to prevent breast, colon and cervical cancers in women. But far too few women are taking advantage of the tests, according to Cancer Care Ontario.

The government agency is focusing this year on why women aren't getting screened, says the agency's Elizabeth McCarthy.

She suggests there may be misconceptions about the three screening tests: mammography for women over 50 for breast cancer, Pap smears for cervical cancer, and fecal occult blood tests for women over 50 for colon cancer.

"A lot of women are nervous about mammograms and it's the same with colorectal screening – they're squeamish," she says.

"The most important thing is that the benefits outweigh any discomfort."

About 63 per cent of Ontario women are screened for breast cancer, a figure relatively unchanged since 2001-02 and below the agency's target of 70 per cent. In 2005, breast cancer was found in 1,135 of 240,703 women ages 50 to 69 who were screened through the Ontario Breast Screening Program.

About 70 per cent of Ontario women ages 20 to 69 were screened at least once in the past five years for cervical cancer with a Pap smear. That is critical because there are seldom any symptoms of the disease and screening is the only way to detect it.

The agency recommends screening at least once every three years up until the age of 70.

For colorectal cancer, less than 20 per cent of women over 50 are getting screened through a self-administered fecal occult blood test.

In January 2007, Ontario launched a massive media campaign highighting ColonCancerCheck, a free screening program for people over 50. Although the number of people getting the test is rising, it is still low overall.

It is estimated that colorectal cancer death rates can be reduced by 15 to 18 per cent with regular screening. Cancer Care Ontario is proposing to transform cancer screening in Ontario by creating a high-quality, organized program for screening, focusing on the need to get all three tests, says Dr. Verna Mai, director of prevention and screening for Cancer Care Ontario.

"All three screening programs have been well proven by studies to reduce your risk of dying from those cancers," Mai says. "We're trying to incorporate all three into the messages we send out."

But many women are either unaware of them or, particularly in the case of mammograms, worried about how painful the procedure will be.

"There is some discomfort, but mammograms are still the gold standard for breast cancer," she says. "It really only lasts for seconds and we know the value of getting them."

– Elaine Carey