MONTREAL — Members of the National Assembly are beginning to get impatient with the lack of a real systematic screening program for colorectal cancer in Quebec. This week, a motion was passed unanimously to force the government to speed up its deployment.
As The Canadian Press reported last month, Quebec is the only province that does not offer on-demand access to preventive screening tests. To obtain a test, you must first obtain a prescription from a doctor or a specialized nurse practitioner.
However, the most common test is a simple stool sample taken at home. The sample is then analyzed in the laboratory to check for the presence of blood.
What many experts are calling for is the establishment of a program modeled on that of breast cancer prevention. That is to say, when celebrating their 50th birthday, all residents of Quebec should receive a letter with the value of a medical prescription to allow them to undergo a screening test.
Taking advantage of the context of the Canadian Cancer Society’s daffodil campaign, the Parti Québécois spokesperson for Health, Joël Arseneau, tabled a motion without notice, Thursday in the National Assembly, to “ask the government to deploy a systematic colorectal cancer screening program as soon as possible between now and the end of this legislature’. The motion passed unanimously.
The member for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine pointed out that 2,550 Quebecers die each year from colorectal cancer, even though this disease is preventable, treatable and curable according to specialists. This statistic makes it the second deadliest cancer in Quebec.
According to data from the Canadian Cancer Society, if cancer is diagnosed in the first two stages of the disease, the survival rate is 90%. On the other hand, if it occurs at stage 4 of the disease, the survival rate drops to 11%.
It is precisely for this reason that medical specialists, such as the Association of Gastro-Enterologists of Quebec (AGEQ), are calling for a truly proactive screening program. In the case of colon cancer, it is even possible to prevent it when lesions, called polyps, are detected. A doctor can perform an operation to remove them and prevent the development of a possible cancer.
Also in the National Assembly, shortly before the adoption of the motion, the Liberal spokesperson for Health, André Fortin, had assailed the CAQ government with questions regarding the ever-delayed deadline for the implementation of a program national colorectal cancer screening.
In response, the Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, assured that the deployment of such a program is “fundamental and important”. He reiterated that “work is underway” to develop a program “well suited to the needs of the people of Quebec.”
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