Toronto – A new study has suggested that screening healthy people for colorectal cancer has been proven useful in saving lives, but the significant public health tool is under-use in Canada.

The problem is the lack of organized provincial screening programs across the country.

Author Dr. Ryan Zarychanski of the Ottawa Health Research Institute said, “Unlike breast and unlike cervical screening, where we have provincial and national campaigns - organization on a national level - this does not exist for colon cancer screening whatsoever,”

In the Canadian Medical Association Journal’s editorial, written by Dr. Alan Barkun, the director of gastroenterology at McGill University Health Centre and Dr. Ken Flegel, the senior associate editor of the journal, it is said that screening programs should be put in and utilized, otherwise Canadians will continue to die needlessly of this disease.

The country’s death rate from colorectal cancer could be reduced with early detection.

According to the estimate of Canadian Cancer Society; this year 20,800 Canadians are likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 8,700 likely to due to it. Colorectal Cancer is the second most fatal form of disease for men and the third most fatal for women.

When detected in the early stages, it’s has more chances of remedy. When healthy people above 50 years screened seemingly, the growth of cancer can be prevented when they are either in the pre-cancerous phase or in its early stages.

Cancer’s screening test includes stool samples for minute traces of blood, or the doctor can check for pre-cancerous growths by observing the colon from inside by putting a scope in it.

Colorectal cancer has no evident symptoms in the early stages. In many cases, the disease is not diagnosed until the cancer is advanced.

The survey asked about screening in British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador.

In the previous year, only 17.6 percent of people have been screened within the suggested time frame.

Schacter said that anyone who tests positive in stool test for blood must be offered a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.