Health authority handling backlog of 700 colon cancer cases
A backlog of roughly 700 colon cancer procedures has forced the health authority to temporarily suspend mailing out home screening kits.
In March, the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) stopped mailing out colon cancer home screening kits to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, it’s only conducting at around 50 per cent capacity for colonoscopies.
“The colon cancer screening program is really important to us, and we’ve been anxious to get the screening kits mailed out as soon as possible,” Drew Bethune tells NEWS 95.7’s The Sheldon MacLeod Show.
Bethune, the senior medical director of Nova Scotia’s cancer care program, says these mail-out screening kits are an important component of the Colon Cancer Prevention Program that provide blood and stool tests which may indicate a need for a colonoscopy.
But, he says only 34 per cent of people who receive home screening kits actually turn in their specimens.
“We really need to have 100 per cent of people responding to this,” Bethune says. “You don’t know if you have a cancer. You have to do this test.”
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is expected to be the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2020. In Canada, it’s the second leading cause of death from cancer in men and the third leading cause of death from cancer in women.
In 2020, it’s estimated that 26,900 Canadians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. On top of that, 9,700 Canadians will die from the cancer.
Colon cancer testing started in parts of Nova Scotia in 2009 and reached the entire province in 2011.
With the Colon Cancer Prevention Program, Bethune says they’ve detected over 8,000 polyps which would’ve led to colon cancer without the home screening kits. On top of that, he says they’ve detected 1,000 cases of cancer which have been in the early stages.
While the NSHA has temporarily suspended sending out home screening kits, Bethune says the health authority is still conducting tests.
Anyone who currently has an unexpired home screening kit can send in their sample to still get tested. If the sample tests positive for trace amounts of blood, a screening nurse will contact the participant to answer questions and concerns.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous problems within the healthcare system, the NSHA is working towards alleviating the backlog of colonoscopies.
The NSHA has hired two new gastroenterologists in Halifax to conduct colonoscopies. At the Dartmouth General Hospital, a third room is opening for colonoscopies. In other parts of the province, some physicians have worked after hours to continue tests.
In September, an advisory committee will decide whether or not the NSHA can resume mailing out home screening kits.
Usually, colon cancer home screening kits are mailed out every two years for Nova Scotians between the ages of 50 and 74. Those outside of the age range can contact their family doctor or health care provider for help regarding colon cancer testing.
“It’s all been proven, without a doubt, that this is a program that really, really benefits people,” Bethune says. “We spend a lot of time dealing with cancers after they’ve occurred. But this is a cheap way to prevent cancer from happening in the first place or picking it up at earlier stages where it’s easier to handle.”
Published at Sun, 30 Aug 2020 15:22:30 +0000