Fecal blood testing and colorectal cancer

No. Several other conditions can cause blood in the stool: hemorrhoids, anal fissures, constipation or inflammatory bowel disease can also yield positive results. According to Quebec’s ministry of health and social services, 36 out of every 1,000 people tested will have blood in their stool (3.6%). Of these 36 people, 4 will have colorectal cancer, 17 will have one or more polyps, and 15 will have neither polyps nor cancer.

No. Polyps and tumours do not continuously discharge blood. It is possible that a lesion did not bleed on the day a sample was taken. For this reason, Quebec’s colorectal cancer screening program recommends testing at least every two years.

No. Fecal blood testing is used for screening purposes. Only an optical or virtual colonoscopy can diagnose the presence of a polyp, adenoma or cancerous lesion.

Yes. The performance of both approaches is similar. However, with optical colonoscopy, if polyps are present, they can be removed during the procedure, which is not the case with virtual colonoscopy. On the other hand, virtual colonoscopy can be used to diagnose other abdominal lesions not visible with optical colonoscopy (ovarian cysts, etc.).

No. Although colorectal cancer is most often diagnosed in people over the age of 60, the incidence of colorectal cancer in people under age 50 appears to be rising steadily in North America.

If you are younger than 50 and would like to be screened, you must have a family history or specific risk factors to be eligible for the screening program. You can confirm your eligibility by completing this short questionnaire.

Yes. An American study of 500,000 retirees showed that those who consumed the most red meat were 30% more likely to develop colorectal cancer. Among heavy consumers of processed meats (e.g., bacon, sausage, deli meats), the risk was up to 20 times higher.

No. Cancer rates in men and women are very similar: one in sixteen men and one in eighteen women are likely to develop this cancer in their lifetime.

Several studies suggest that the omega-3s present in fish have a protective effect against colorectal cancer. In any case, adding fish to the diet helps reduce the consumption of red or processed meat.

Alcohol consumption is definitely a risk factor for colorectal cancer. There is no defined minimum quantity below which the risk disappears completely.