Colorectal cancer screening in Canada, 2026
About this section
This section describes how provinces and territories correspond with individuals after colorectal cancer screening, and how individuals are notified of their results and invited for follow-up with a diagnostic colonoscopy. Appropriate referral pathways for participants who receive an abnormal screen result, reporting pathways for participants who receive a normal screen test, and set methods for notifying primary care providers and/or participants of the results of the screening test are all elements of organized screening programs (WHO, IARC).
Diagnostic follow-up
Follow-up for normal results
In many jurisdictions, normal colorectal cancer screening test results are received by both the primary care provider and by the participant. Nine provinces and two territories send a recall reminder to participants, with some programs sending a testing kit alongside the recall reminder.
Receiving results for normal colorectal cancer screening test results
| P/T | PCP receives FIT results | Participant receives FIT results |
|---|---|---|
| YT | ✓ | |
| NT | ✓ (opportunistic) | ✓* |
| NU | ✓ | |
| BC | ✓ | Normal FIT results are available through online test result reporting if participants have signed up for those services. |
| AB | ✓ | ✓ |
| SK | ✓ | ✓ |
| MB | ✓ | ✓ |
| ON | ✓* | ✓ |
| QC | ✓ (opportunistic) | ✓(program)* |
| NB | ✓ | ✓ |
| NS | ✓ | ✓ |
| PE | ✓ | ✓ |
| NL | ✓ | ✓ |
Data are current as of October 2023, except for Ontario which is current as of March 2024. Data for Nunavut presented in this table is from data collected for the 2021-2022 E-Scan. For the most up-to-date information, please reference each jurisdiction’s program website.
*Footnotes:
NT: Negative FIT results through the organized screening program receive a letter and phone call from the program directly.
ON: Lab sends FIT results to the PCP and uploads the result into the Ontario Laboratories Information System (OLIS).
QC: Once program is established.
Follow-up for normal colorectal cancer screening test results
| P/T | Automatic recall (recall reminder, requisition, questionnaire) | No formal recall (participant or PCP must initiate screening) |
|---|---|---|
| YT | ✓ (recall reminder) | |
| NT | ✓ (recall reminder with test kit)* | |
| NU | – | – |
| BC | ✓ (requisition) | |
| AB | ✓ | |
| SK | ✓ (recall reminder with test kit) | |
| MB | ✓ (recall with test kit) | |
| ON | ✓ (recall letter and then reminder letter sent in four months if no screening done) | |
| QC | ✓ (recall reminder)* | ✓ (opportunistic) |
| NB | ✓ (re-invitation & patient questionnaire) | |
| NS | ✓ (recall reminder with test kit) | |
| PE | ✓ (recall reminder with test kit) | |
| NL | ✓ (recall reminder with test kit) |
Data are current as of October 2023, except for Ontario which is current as of March 2024. Data for Nunavut presented in this table is from data collected for the 2021-2022 E-Scan. For the most up-to-date information, please reference each jurisdiction’s program website.
*Footnotes:
NT: In regions where the organized screening program has been rolled out.
QC: Once program is established.
– NU: No information was provided at the time data were collected.