Download Internal Use Only For internal use only – to help prepare Cancer

For internal use only – to help prepare Cancer Care Ontario spokespeople
Key Messages for 2017 CCAM Campaign:
For physicians
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March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM). Cancer Care Ontario is encouraging men to get
checked with the fecal occult blood test (FOBT).
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Colon cancer (commonly called ‘colorectal cancer’ or ‘bowel cancer’) is the second most common
cause of cancer death in men in Ontario. Despite this, many men are not getting checked.
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Evidence shows that getting checked for colon cancer with an FOBT can reduce deaths from colon
cancer.
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It is particularly important for healthcare providers to encourage men between the ages of 55 and
65 to get checked for colon cancer because they are the group likely to benefit the most from
screening.
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Men are less likely to have been checked for colon cancer than women.
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While this month Cancer Care Ontario is focused on encouraging men between the ages of 55 and
65 to participate, colon cancer screening is available to all Ontarians between the ages of 50 and
74 through ColonCancerCheck, Ontario’s organized cancer screening program.
For the general public
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Getting checked for colon cancer helps find cancer early when it may be easier to treat.
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Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), which is the lower part of the digestive
system. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last six inches of the colon. Together, they are referred to as
colorectal cancer (commonly called ‘colon cancer’ or ‘bowel cancer’).
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Colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in men in Ontario. Despite this,
many men are not getting checked.
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The risk of developing colon cancer goes up after the age of 50.
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Getting checked with an FOBT helps find colon cancer early, when there are no uncomfortable
symptoms, such as persistent diarrhea and stomach pain, and when treatment has the best
chance of working. Without getting checked, someone could have colon cancer and not know it.
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When colon cancer is caught early, nine out of 10 people with the disease can be cured. If colon
cancer is caught after it has already spread to other parts of the body, it is less likely that
treatment will be successful; only about one out of eight people whose colon cancer has spread
will be cured.
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Men and women between the ages of 50 and 74 should still get checked for colon cancer, even if
no one in their family has had the disease.
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It’s easy to get checked for colon cancer with a take-home test, called the FOBT.
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The FOBT is a safe and painless cancer screening test that checks a person’s stool (poop)
for tiny drops of blood, which can be caused by colon cancer. The test can be done in the
comfort and privacy of a person’s home, and only takes a few minutes a day on three
different days to do. This simple at home test is available free of charge to Ontarians with
Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage.
ColonCancerCheck is Ontario’s population-based, provincial colon cancer screening program.
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People between 50 and 74 years of age without a parent, brother, sister or child who has been
diagnosed with colon cancer are considered to be average risk for colon cancer and should get
checked every two years with the safe and painless take-home test, called the FOBT.
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People with a family history of colon cancer in a parent, brother, sister or child are at an increased
risk for developing the disease. These individuals should be checked with a colonoscopy (instead
of an FOBT) beginning at age 50, or 10 years earlier than the age their relative was diagnosed,
whichever comes first.
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A colonoscopy is an exam where a doctor looks at the lining of the colon using a long,
flexible tube with a tiny camera on the end. A colonoscopy is safe; it only takes half an
hour, and medication can be used to make the person feel comfortable.
Some people who have had growths polyps removed from their colon, as well as people with
inflammatory bowel disease (i.e., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), may be at increased risk
for developing colon cancer and may need to be checked regularly with colonoscopy instead of an
FOBT.
Male specific messaging
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Finding colon cancer early also means you can be treated before you get problems like persistent diarrhea
and stomach pain, which can happen in the later stages of the disease.
Campaign theme: Influencer specific messaging for men ages 55-65
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Many men aren’t getting checked for colon cancer. Do you know if your husband/partner/dad has been
checked? Encourage the men in your life to request a take-home test.
Many people don’t realize that colon cancer may be there for a long time before it causes symptoms,
which makes it important to get checked, and to repeat the take-home test every two years even if you
feel well.
Many people don’t realize that colon cancer can happen in anyone over 50, even if no one in their family
has had the disease, which makes it important to get checked for colon cancer
Colon cancer symptoms aren’t always obvious and can vary from blood in the stool and constipation to
weight loss and fatigue. If you notice any of these changes in your loved one, encourage them to talk to
their healthcare provider.
If your loved one is worried about getting checked for colon cancer, encourage them to talk to their
doctor about their concerns.
Campaign theme: Call the Shots on Colon Cancer
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While colon cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Ontario, when caught early, it’s
easier to treat as nine out of 10 people can beat the disease.
The FOBT is a safe and painless cancer screening test that checks your stool (poop) for tiny drops of blood,
which can be caused by colon cancer. The test can be done in the comfort and privacy of your home, and
only takes a few minutes a day on three different days to do.
Talk to your doctor today about getting checked for colon cancer with a take-home test. More
information is available at www.cancercare.on.ca/colon.
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People without a family doctor or nurse practitioner can get a kit through Telehealth Ontario at 1866-828-9213, community pharmacies and mobile screening coaches. More information is
available at www.ontario.ca/coloncancercheck.