Screening can help find cancer earlier, often leading to more effective treatment and better health outcomes. When caught early, treatments are usually less complex, and more likely to be successful.
Screening is for people who do not have any cancer symptoms.
The Southeast Regional Cancer Program manages screening for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and cervical cancer.
Breast cancer screening is available for female, trans, nonbinary and two-spirit individuals within certain age and risk categories. Screening is done at the state-of-the-art Breast Imaging Kingston facility in Kingston.
Screening recommendations vary by age group and are impacted by family history. See the complete Cancer Care Ontario recommendations here.
Speak to your primary care physician for information on next steps for screening. Individuals without a family physician can self-refer for a mammogram through Breast Imaging Kingston.
Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable with regular screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization.
A Pap test takes less than ten minutes and is the most reliable way to screen for cervical cancer. It can detect cell changes in the cervix that may lead to cancer before people feel any symptoms. If abnormalities are found early, they can be treated effectively, with minimal chance of long-term impacts.
The Ontario Cervical Screening Program recommends that anyone with a cervix (women, transmasculine and non-binary people) who is or ever has been sexually active have a Pap test every 3 years starting at age 21, but is currently updating this recommendation.
If you are under 25, talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner about whether you should wait until age 25 before starting cervical screening with the Pap test.
The Southeast Regional Cancer Program runs pop-up pap screening clinics for individuals without a primary care physician. Learn more about screening and clinic availability.
The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is the main screening test for people at average risk of getting colorectal cancer. Learn more at Cancer Care Ontario.
Screening recommendations vary by age group and are impacted by family history. See the complete Cancer Care Ontario recommendations here.
The FIT is an at-home screening test. Speak with your primary care physician about getting a free test. If you do not have a primary care physician, you can get a FIT by calling Health811 at 811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007). If you live on a First Nation community, contact your health centre or nursing station for more information.
Individuals who are at risk of a genetic cause for their cancer or a predisposition to developing cancer based on their family history may be referred to KHSC’s cancer genetics (familial oncology) clinic.
Additional information can be found at the Cancer Care South East’s Genetic forms of cancer webpage.
Welcome to Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
We have recently integrated our websites. If you are looking for information about Hotel Dieu Hospital or Kingston General Hospital, you are in the right place.
Are you a:
