Web Message from the honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March 2010

Canada recognizes Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month every year, in March.

As Minister of Health, I urge Canadians to learn more about colorectal cancer, including  its signs, symptoms and risk factors, and to discuss the benefits of colorectal cancer screening with their healthcare provider. The  Canadian Cancer Society recommends that both men and women, aged 50 and over, have a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) at least every two years.

The Government of Canada is committed to identifying colorectal cancer earlier through less obtrusive means, as well as to developing more effective and efficient treatment options. We support research through the  Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which, last year, invested $6.7 million in colorectal cancer research. One initiative, based at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, has brought together a team of researchers, educators, and health policy-makers from Ontario, Alberta, the United States, and the Netherlands to examine how to best implement currently available, screening tests for colorectal cancer throughout Canada.

In 2002, Health Canada's  National Committee on Colorectal Cancer Screening released its recommendations for population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The Government of Canada has continued to strengthen its commitment to cancer prevention and control and, in 2006, created the  Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC).

The efforts of other organizations, such as the  Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, are also important to increasing awareness of colorectal cancer, the benefits of screening, and timely treatment.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is a good time to think about what we can do to  reduce our risk of developing cancer as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout the year.

For more information on preventing and managing cancer, visit the  cancer section of the website of the   Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

For quick facts and tips on your health, stay connected with  PHAC mobile and social media tools.

Leona Aglukkaq
Minister of Health
Government of Canada