Cancer Screening During COVID-19: Message for First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and urban Indigenous People

Have you been checked for cancer lately?

Getting checked regularly for cancer leads to healthier lives for you, your loved ones and your community. Cancer screening is testing done on people who have no symptoms and generally feel fine but are at risk of getting cancer.

Due to the pandemic, many people are delayed in getting their cancer screening tests. Regular screening is important because it can find some cancers or pre-cancers early when treatment has a better chance of working.

Cervical Screening

A cervical screening test checks for the signs of cancer before it starts. Anyone with a cervix (woman, transmasculine or nonbinary) who has ever been sexually active can get cervical cancer. Talk with your doctor, nurse or midwife about getting checked with a test to help prevent cervical cancer. For more information about the Ontario Cervical Screening Program, call 1-866-662-9233.

Breast Screening

The Ontario Breast Screening Program offers breast screening throughout Ontario to eligible people. If you are age 50 or over, talk with your family doctor or nurse practitioner. They can tell you about your breast health and screening test options. You can also book your mammogram by calling 1-800-668-9304.

The Ontario Breast Screening Program screens eligible people ages 30 to 69 who are confirmed to be at high risk of developing breast cancer. This screening takes place once a year with a mammogram and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If MRI is not medically appropriate, ultrasound will be used instead.

To find out who is eligible, visit Breast Cancer Screening for Women at High Risk.

Colorectal Screening

Most people ages 50 to 74 are at average risk of getting colorectal cancer. That means they do not have a parent, sibling or child who has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. People at average risk should get screened with an at-home test called the fecal immunochemical test (FIT). If you are age 50 to 74, talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about getting checked for colon cancer. If you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, you can get a FIT by calling Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-828-9213.

Indigenous-Led Health Centres

To find Indigenous-led health centres, visit the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council and the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario.

Mobile Screening

Mobile screening coaches in the North West region and Hamilton area screen eligible people for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. To book an appointment, visit Mobile Screening.

Cancer Screening Toolkit and Fact Sheets

For more information on cancer screening, see First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Urban Indigenous Cancer Screening Resources.