Erie St. Clair Regional Cancer Program 3.41

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Men and women between the ages of 50 to 74 should get screened for colorectal cancer with a Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) every two years.

Men and women over 75 should continue to get regular check-ups and discuss with their family doctor or nurse practitioner whether they should continue to be screened for colorectal cancer.

If a first degree relative (parent, sibling or child) had colorectal cancer you are at increased risk. Talk to your doctor about getting screened for colorectal cancer when you are 10 years younger than your relative was at the disease onset.


Breast Cancer Screening

Women 50 – 74 years of age should get regular breast cancer screening with mammography every two years.

Women 75 and over should continue to get regular checkups and discuss with their family doctor or nurse practitioner whether they should continue to be screened for breast cancer.

Women between the ages of 30 and 69 and identified by a physician as high risk for breast cancer, should have yearly screening using both a mammogram and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).



Cervical Cancer Screening

All women who have ever had any sexual skin-to-skin contact need to have regular Pap tests starting at age 21. This includes intercourse, intimate touching or oral sexual contact with partners of either sex.

The current recommendation in Ontario is a Pap test every three years.

Make the Pap test part of your regular health checkup until you are 70 years old. Pap tests can stop at age 70 if you have had three or more normal tests in the past 10 years.

If you have had a hysterectomy, talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner to see if you still need a Pap test.