CANCER SCREENING GUIDANCE
These are guidelines only; please schedule an intake appointment for specific questions and other recommendations based on your personal history.
WHAT IS A SCREENING TEST?
Cancer screening helps find diseases before you feel sick. This means doctors can catch problems early, which makes treatment work better.
At CanScreen, we are here to guide you through the cancer screening process. We don’t do the screening tests ourselves, but we offer advice, support, and follow-up based on BC Cancer’s recommendations.
We know that people in the 2SLGBTQI+ community may face challenges when trying to get screened. Because of this, we provide information and support to help make screening easier and more comfortable for you. You’ll find details about 2SLGBTQI+ specific screening below.
Your health matters, and we’re here to help you take the next step!
BREAST CANCER SCREENING FAQS
Screening guidelines for breast cancer vary depending on a person’s age and risk factors. In general, it is recommended that women aged 50-74 have a screening mammogram every two years. Women aged 40-49 and women aged 75 and older may benefit from ongoing screening depending on select circumstances.
Women who have a first-degree relative with breast cancer aged between 40 and 74 should get a mammogram every year.
Women with known or suspected BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations should get tested every year from the age of 30.
For trans-women who have taken gender-affirming hormones like estrogen, screening may be recommended. Estrogen may carry an increased risk of breast cancer, so if you have taken estrogen for more than five years and are between the ages of 50 and 74, you may qualify for screening tests every two years.
For trans-men who have not had top surgery and are between the ages of 50 and 74, it is recommended that you have chest screening every two years. If you have had top surgery, it may still be important to continue to monitor the health of your chest tissue.
-
If you live within Island Health (Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands), yes! If you have had any screening mammograms before that weren’t normal, we recommend you book an intake visit first though. Otherwise, we suggest that you book a follow up visit around 7-10 days after your mammogram to go over the results.
-
CanScreen does not follow a “no news is good news” approach. We follow up with patients directly on ALL test results. This gives us the chance to review your results, arrange necessary follow up, or educate you on other available screening recommendations. If you haven’t heard from us by email or phone within 2 weeks of your mammogram, please schedule a follow-up via our booking page.
-
Yes, please book a breast screening appointment. We can send a diagnostic imaging requisition to a medical imaging facility near you.
-
Screening mammograms now report a patient’s breast density. This is reported on a scale from ‘A’, which is not dense at all, to ‘D’, which is very dense. A higher breast density may increase your lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Those with a breast density of category ‘C’ or ‘D’ may qualify for additional screening with ultrasound, which we can arrange. At present, this is only available to Island Health residents in the Victoria area or willing to travel to Victoria. Ultrasound for dense breasts is only performed at two locations on the Island - Victoria General Hospital, and the West Coast Medical Imaging in downtown Victoria.
-
About 10-15% of all screening mammograms show something abnormal. In these circumstances, patients may need a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, or biopsy - or all of the above. Fortunately, most of these abnormal screens don’t end up being anything serious. That said, it is important to go through the process so that a possible breast cancer is not missed.
-
Breast biopsy results are typically available within 1-3 weeks of the biopsy date. If you haven’t heard from us within 3 weeks of your biopsy, please schedule a follow up so that we can help track the results down.
-
We are here to support you and ensure you get the treatment you need. We will refer you urgently to a general surgeon specializing in breast cancer and walk you through the treatment process. If other investigations (e.g. MRI, bloodwork) are deemed necessary, we will arrange those too. In some cases, you will also be referred to the BC Cancer Agency for assessment by an oncologist. This usually happens after your surgery when all necessary information to form a treatment plan is available.
COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING FAQS
If you have a colon and are between 50 and 74 years old, you may need to get screened for colorectal (colon) cancer. Your personal and family health history can affect which test is best for you and the age at which screening starts.
If you are at average risk, you will need a FIT test (a simple stool test you can do at home).
If you have a higher risk, you may be referred for a colonoscopy, which is a special test that looks inside your colon.
We are here to help you understand which test is right for you and guide you through the next steps.
-
Routine colorectal cancer is only available to patients from age 50-74. We do not offer FIT requisitions to anyone outside of this age range.
-
Screening colonoscopy in B.C. is only available to patients with a strong family history of colorectal cancer. This includes patients with a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother or sister) diagnosed with colorectal cancer before the age of 60, or two first degree relatives diagnosed with colorectal cancer at any age. We are not able to offer a referral for screening colonoscopy in any other circumstances.
-
Almost 10% of all stool FIT tests are positive. After a positive FIT test, you will be referred automatically for a colonoscopy to look for a cause of bleeding. Fortunately, most positive FIT tests represent issues that aren’t serious, like hemorrhoids. That said, it is important to go through the follow-up testing so that serious conditions like colon cancer can be excluded.
-
Yes. CanScreen is partnered with Island Health in helping patients like yourself get your follow-up colonoscopy. Book a colon cancer screening appointment and we can support you.
-
We are here to support you and ensure you get the treatment you need. We will walk you through the treatment process and refer you urgently to specialists needed to help manage your condition, which includes general surgeons and BC Cancer Agency oncologists. We will also help arrange any bloodwork or imaging tests needed to help make a treatment plan for you.
LUNG CANCER SCREENING FAQS
11% of Canadians smoke regularly. Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer. Lung cancer screening is recommended to individuals who are:
Current or past smokers.
Are between 55-74 years old.
Have smoked for 20 years or more.
-
Lung cancer screening is available to BC residents at high risk for developing lung cancer. This includes patients with the following characteristics:
Are between the ages of 55-74.
Have smoked the equivalent of 1 pack per day of cigarettes for at least 20 years.
Do NOT have active chest symptoms that have not been fully investigated (e.g. worsening chronic cough, blood in sputum, unexplained weight loss).
Patients who are not or have not been regular cigarette or tobacco smokers are not eligible for lung cancer screening.
-
Lung cancer testing is offered via Low-Dose Computed Tomography, or LDCT. Practically, this is a CT scan of your chest done at the nearest local hospital to you that has a CT scanner.
-
Book a lung screening appointment on our booking page and if you are eligible for screening, we will send a referral to the BC Cancer Lung Screening Program.
-
We are unable to do this without assessing you first. Please book an appointment with one of our doctors to review your medical history and eligibility for this screening test.
-
In our experience this takes anywhere from 6-16 weeks depending on your location. We advise that patients follow up with us 4 months after their initial assessment if they still haven’t gotten their LDCT so we can advocate for it.
-
We are here to support you and ensure you get the treatment you need. We will walk you through the treatment process and refer you urgently to specialists needed to help manage your condition, which includes thoracic surgeons and BC Cancer Agency oncologists. We will also help arrange any bloodwork or imaging tests needed to help make a treatment plan for you.
The HPV virus is the root cause of 95% of all cases of cervical cancer. HPV is the most common virus affecting the genitourinary tract.
It can affect all persons shortly after they become sexually active. If you have ever had any genital skin-to-skin contact with another person of any gender and you have a cervix, then you are at risk of cervical cancer and screening is recommended starting at the age of 25.
BC is transitioning from Pap test to HPV testing as the primary screening method for cervical cancer. Cervix self-screening is recommended every five years for women and people with a cervix ages 25-69 (or every three years for those who are recommended to have a Pap test).
For trans-women who have had a vaginoplasty with a cervix created, then screening may also be appropriate. We have little data as to the full risk of cervical cancer for trans-women, but given the tissue involved in creating a neo-vagina and neo-cervix, there may be a risk of developing cancer of the neo-cervix. This risk will vary based on the individual and their past exposure to HPV.
For trans-men who have not had bottom surgery or for trans-men who have had a hysterectomy and kept their cervix, then screening is still recommended. For trans-men who have had a hysterectomy including removal of their cervix, then further screening is likely no longer required. For those who have a history of past abnormal paps prior to surgery, then generally a smear of the vaginal vault is recommended and screening should be continued until you have three consecutive normal smears.
Self-screening HPV tests can be requested directly from BC Cancer - here
Unsure as to whether you are eligible or require a Pap Test? Please book an appointment for review a physician to review your needs - here.
*Currently, we can only offer Pap testing to those living in the Victoria area for Testing.
CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING FAQS
-
Cervical cancer screening in BC is available to anyone with a cervix (women, transgender, or gender-diverse people) provided they meet the following criteria:
They are between the ages of 25-69.
They don’t have unexplained vaginal symptoms, such as bleeding between periods, unexplained pelvic pains, or unusual vaginal discharge.
-
A screening test alone is not appropriate for you. You should make an appointment for physical exam at a walk-in clinic, community health centre, or urgent primary care centre.
-
In January of 2024, BC Cancer began offering cervical cancer screening via HPV swab. This is a DNA-based test which tests for the virus that causes cervical cancer - Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This will largely replace pap testing for the general population - the test can be ordered from BC Cancer directly and done from the comfort of your own home without the need for a medical appointment.
Pap testing is still available under some circumstances, for example in those with positive HPV swabs, pregnant women, or those who have had abnormal pap testing recently. If you aren’t sure what test you need, please book an appointment.
-
In most cases, no! Over 90% of women and people with a cervix qualify for HPV screening which does not require an ordering physician. See the BC Cancer link above.
-
We are currently offering referrals for pap testing at partner clinics for patients living within the South Island area only. Please book an appointment first so we can review your medical history and collect your demographic information