Screening change

Modern medicine and ongoing research have demonstrated time and time again that often what we believed was correct in the past is no longer valid. New evidence brought to us by current research enables us to change our practice accordingly and provide patients with updated medical therapies and advice.

We all agree that colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality cannot be ignored in a first-world country such as Canada. Colorectal cancer is not only treatable in its early stages, but is also preventable with different screening strategies such as fecal occult blood testing and colonoscopy. It is true that screening has potential harms and costs, but these will improve with implementation.

Can we continue to refute CRC screening using arguments from 40 years ago?1 I do not believe that it is possible. For my part, I discuss the benefits and potential risks of different screening approaches with my patients, and initiate discussions about CRC screening in particular to increase awareness of this preventable cancer.

I do not think we do enough CRC screening compared with other developed countries, and instead depend too much on less expensive approaches that might not be as reliable.

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