By Samantha Maciag

RQHR offers FIT test to detect colorectal cancer

Jun 14, 2011 | 7:09 AM

It's a new test for the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region (RQHR) that will save emotional distress, a lot of money and thousands of lives.

RQHR has joined with five other health regions offering the FIT test (fecal immunochemical test) to catch early stage colorectal cancer.

“Since we've started the program in the Five Hills Health Region — Moose Jaw and area — there's been 96 people that have been identified that were positive with the FIT test that went on the have a colonoscopy and had pre-cancerous polyps or abnormalities and those have been removed,” said Saskatchewan Cancer Agency CEO Scott Livingstone.

Tests will be mailed to low-risk patients over 50 years old every two years. The test is done at home and mailed back. Then the results are mailed right to you. If there is a positive result, then the patient is sent in for a colonoscopy.

“Because there's a new test and a new program, part of the challenges in rolling it out is making sure the physicians in particular and the regions are prepared to introduce the new test, understand what the new test is, so that they can properly explain it to their patients,” Livingstone said.

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FIT is being rolled out region-by-region and should be available to the entire province by the end of next year.

Previously the test was only available in the Five Hills, Kelsey Trail, Athabasca, Keewatin Yatthe and Mamawetan Churchill River health regions. Prairie North health region around North Battleford is slated to get it in September.

According to Health Minister Don McMorris, the annual cost to the government will be $3.5 million.

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