Call the Shots on Colon Cancer

Most often, a person with colon cancer has no early warning signs. If you have colon cancer and do not get tested, you may miss out on the chance for early and more effective treatment. Nine out of every 10 people with the disease can be cured when it is caught early.

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month and Cancer Care Ontario has partnered with Colon Cancer Canada and former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Darryl Sittler to invite eligible men to ‘Call the Shots on Colon Cancer’ and get screened with a simple take-home test. The fecal occult blood test (FOBT) is safe, painless and can be done at home.

After losing his wife to colon cancer in 2001, Sittler understands the importance of getting screened all too well. He now gets screened regularly and encourages his family and friends to do the same.

“People may assume that they don’t need to get screened for colon cancer if they have no symptoms, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Sittler. “Screening lets you stay a step ahead of the game and find cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. Even if no one else in your family has had colon cancer, it’s important to get screened regularly to make sure you’re healthy.”

When a person reaches 50 years of age, the risk of colon cancer rises. Cancer Care Ontario recommends that men and women at average risk aged 50 to 74 get screened for colon cancer with an FOBT every two years.

Eligible Ontarians are invited to talk to their healthcare provider about getting screened for colon cancer with a take-home FOBT kit. For more information about how to ‘Call the Shots on Colon Cancer’, visit www.cancercare.on.ca/colon.

People without a healthcare provider can get an FOBT kit by contacting Telehealth Ontario at 1.866.828.9213. More information is available at www.ontario.ca/coloncancercheck.