Ontario has recently lowered the age for colorectal cancer screening, a move a physician with the Ottawa Hospital says will help increase prevention of a disease that’s becoming increasingly common. “I think it’s absolutely essential, and I’m really glad to see Ontario has moved forward with this,” Dr. Rebecca Auer, the Ottawa Hospital’s executive vice-president of research and innovation, told CTV’s Your Morning Ottawa on Wednesday. On July 1, Ontario lowered the screening age from 50 to 45. For people at increased risk, the screening age is now 40. According to the Ottawa Hospital, this change will allow more than one million people in Ontario to access screening services sooner. Colorectal cancers begin in the large intestine and include both colon and rectal cancers. Both colon and rectal cancer are becoming more common, and Auer says that increase is disproportionately affecting those younger than 50. The reason for this trend remains unclear, Auer says. “It doesn’t appear to be a change in our genetics. We know that colorectal cancer and many cancers can run in families. That doesn’t seem to be the primary cause, but we think probably environmental factors,” she said. “We eat more processed food, red meat, processed red meat. We also have a change in what we call our microbiome — that’s the bacteria in our colon — and we know that as that bacteria can change, that can increase the risk of colon cancer. So, they may all be factors.” Auer says treatment for rectal cancer can have a significant impact on quality of life. “The rectum joins the anus. The anus is what controls our continence — so our ability to be able to hold bowel movements — and its something people don’t like to talk about, but it can be quite embarrassing if you have lost that ability,” Auer said. Treatment can also have impacts on sexual function and urinary function for both men and women, Auer says. “If you’re going to be doing radiation there, which is part of the treatment, sometimes surgery, then that can have a significant effect on your long-term quality of life,” she said. New medications to treat colorectal cancer are emerging, Auer says. Auer also notes that Prince Edward Island has also lowered its screening age and said she hopes other provinces will follow suit. “The reduction in screening age is a really good start because colorectal cancer is one of those cancers that can actually be prevented, not just detected early, but actually prevented if we screen early,” Auer said. The Ottawa Hospital says most people do not need a colonoscopy to screen for colorectal cancer. Instead, most people can be screened with a fecal immunochemical test, a type of stool test that can be completed at home and delivered to a lab. Those over the age of 45 should be screened every two years. For more information on colorectal screening in Ottawa, visit the Ottawa Hospital’s website.
