A new colon cancer screening clinic at SHN is helping people in our community get the care they need, as conveniently as possible.

Using Fecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) to screen people who have an average risk of developing colorectal cancer, the FIT Positive Screening Clinic will reduce wait times for FIT testing and colonoscopies for patients who need them.

The FIT test is a stool-based test that detects early signs of colorectal cancer and/or pre-cancerous lesions.

“For patients who are identified as FIT positive, it is important that they receive timely access to colonoscopies,” notes Dr. Elaine Yeung, Corporate Chief of Medicine, Scarborough Health Network. “With the rapid access that this clinic offers, we are helping to rapidly detect early signs of colorectal cancer or pre-cancerous lesions and get our patients the care that they need, quickly.”

The new clinic will has a patient care coordinator who works with family physicians to ensure patients are seen as quickly as possible, and guides patients through the clinic process. FIT Clinic patients will be able to see specialists like gastroenterologists and general surgeons within the clinic, instead of travelling to other offices or hospitals.

“This clinic will bring the care and services we provide to people who need colorectal cancer screening and treatment to a new level,” highlights Frederick Go Director, Surgery & Ambulatory Care. “This means our community will get screened for colorectal cancer faster, and will be supported by our clinic staff during every step in their journey.”

FIT testing was introduced as the standard for colorectal screening by Cancer Care Ontario in 2018 and a phase out of the previous testing method, the guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) took place throughout 2019. The new FIT initiative at SHN will work to ensure that we are meeting Cancer Care Ontario’s recommended timelines.

The FIT Positive Screening Clinic is located at SHN’s Birchmount hospital and will operate on Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you think you are at risk of colorectal cancer or are due for a screening, please talk to your family doctor about a referral to the FIT Clinic.

FIT Positive Screening Clinic

SHN Birchmount hospital
3030 Birchmount Rd., Scarborough
Main Level
Hours: Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Phone: 416-495-2552
Fax: 416-495-2488