$1.2 Million Investment Expands Colon Cancer Screening Program to
Grand Falls-Windsor

Residents of Grand Falls-Windsor and surrounding area will now have access to screening for the early detection and diagnosis of colon cancer with the recent expansion of the Provincial Colon Cancer Screening Program. This expansion builds on the program’s launch last year in Corner Brook, and brings the Provincial Government one step closer to achieving its long-term vision of a province-wide screening program by 2015.

“Through a Provincial Government investment of approximately $1.2 million this year, the expanded colon cancer screening program offers several benefits for residents as it reaches more people sooner and allows individuals to do the screening in the comfort of their own homes,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services. “This program expansion demonstrates our government’s unwavering commitment to cancer care, particularly the considerable work we have done to improve the early detection and prevention of cancer.”

Approximately 2,000 screening kits will be distributed to residents of Grand Falls-Windsor and the wider central region. In the last year, over 1,700 kits were mailed to individuals in Corner Brook, of which 70 per cent were completed. Returned samples are analyzed and individuals with positive test results are contacted for a follow-up colonoscopy. Those with negative results are rescreened in two years.

“As the health authority responsible for the Colon Cancer Screening Program, we strongly encourage residents of central Newfoundland who fall within the target groups for colon cancer screening to take a proactive approach to their health by participating in the program,” said Katherine Chubbs, Vice-President of Cancer Care for Eastern Health. “Taking the test in your own home is an easy, risk-free means of detecting colon cancer earlier and treating it more successfully. It is well known that earlier detection plays a key role in reducing deaths from this disease.”

The Provincial Colon Cancer Screening Program, an initiative of the Provincial Cancer Control Policy Framework, was launched in 2012 through an investment of $4.3 million over three years. It is designed for people between the ages of 50 and 74 who are at average risk for colon cancer, and is administered by Eastern Health as part of the Provincial Cancer Care Program.

“Central Health is delighted with today’s announcement as early detection programs are integral to the continuum of cancer care and promotes the importance of engaging citizens in self-care to maintain individual health and wellness,” said Rosemarie Goodyear, Interim President and CEO of Central Health. “Investments like this support improved population health strategies throughout the regional health authorities.”

Including investments from Budget 2013: A Sound Plan, A Secure Future, the Provincial Government has allocated over $155 million for cancer treatment and prevention since 2004.

For more information regarding the Provincial Colon Cancer Screening Program, visit Cancer Care at www.easternhealth.ca . 

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2013 06 20             1:25 p.m.