A life-saving test, but a government that is slow to fulfill its promise

March 28,2025

In April 2023, the members of the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted a motion committing the government to implement the Quebec Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (Programme québécois de dépistage du cancer colorectal – PQDCCR) by the end of its term in 2026¹. A few days later, the Quebec Minister of Health said an announcement would be made shortly².

Two years later no significant progress has been made towards the rollout of the program that aims to invite individuals of average risk between the ages of 50-74 to be screened for colorectal cancer every two years using a simple home-based test known as the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). Like the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program, the aim of this program is to either prevent colorectal cancer or to detect it early when it is treatable and curable.

Since February 2024, individuals of average risk between the ages of 50-74 can make an appointment via Clic Santé to be screened with the FIT test, however, it is on an opportunistic basis, rather than through an organized program as in other provinces. The responsibility for requesting the test is on the individual citizen rather than by receiving an invitation from the provincial health authority in the program as in the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening program. Quebec remains the only province in Canada without an organized colorectal cancer screening program³.

Quebec also has one of the oldest populations in the world⁴. As the population grows and ages, we expect to see an increase in the number of cancer cases. In 2024 approximately 7,300 men and women were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and about 2,600 individuals died from it in Quebec.

While colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the country, it is preventable and curable if caught early. It is sometimes described as a silent cancer because the symptoms rarely appear until the disease is in the advanced stages and harder to treat. Nearly half of colorectal cancers are diagnosed when they are already at an advanced stage. If found at an early stage, the survival rate is over 90% compared to 13% when diagnosed at an advanced stage, consequently, by improving access to timely colorectal cancer screening and increasing participation in the program we could save many lives.

Early detection also means less invasive treatments and an increased chance of survival, and reduces pressure on the healthcare system. On November 1, 2024, Health Minister Christian Dubé, announced that he intended to set up a government prevention policy that includes cancer screening. This program would help the Ministry and Santé Québec to achieve their objectives.

The Canadian Cancer Society, the Quebec Cancer Foundation and Colorectal Cancer Canada, all believe that this responsibility must be advanced by the government. That is why we are asking the government to keep its commitment – made before the National Assembly of Quebec – to implement the Quebec Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (PQDCCR) without further delay while increasing the necessary resources to enable the healthcare system to meet the current and future needs of the population to reduce mortality from colorectal cancer for all Quebecers.

Marco Décelles – General Manager of the Quebec Cancer Foundation

Barry D. Stein – President & CEO of Colorectal Cancer Canada

David Raynaud – Advocacy Manager at the Canadian Cancer Society

1. Les élus exigent le déploiement d’un programme de dépistage du cancer colorectal | L’actualité
2. Vers un programme de dépistage systématique du cancer colorectal au Québec | Le Devoir
3. Le vieillissement au Québec | Institut national de santé publique du Québec
4. Dépistage du cancer colorectal au Canada, 2023-2024