A new addition to the publication Health Fact Sheets, using data from the 2024 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), released today shows that more people underwent colorectal cancer screening tests in 2024 than in 2017. Specifically, in 2024, 49% of people aged 50 to 74 years living in the provinces reported having a fecal test within the past 2 years or a sigmoidoscopy within the past 10 years, which was higher than in 2017 (43%). In addition, 69% of females aged 25 to 69 years living in the provinces reported having a Pap smear test within the past three years, which was lower than in 2017 (74%). Furthermore, 79% of females aged 50 to 74 years living in the provinces reported having a mammogram within the past three years, which was similar to the proportion in 2017 (78%).
The fact sheet "Colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening tests, 2024," provides an overview of the proportions of Canadians who have undergone tests commonly used for early detection of colorectal, cervical and breast cancers among people living in the 10 provinces. It also examines differences by various groups, such as by sex, age, province, area type, racialized group, immigrant status, Indigenous group and disability status.
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Canada. A fecal occult blood test, a fecal immunochemical test or a flexible sigmoidoscopy are tests often used to screen for colorectal cancer. These tests are offered to people aged 50 to 74 years in many provinces, but guidelines vary by province and have changed over time. In 2024, 49% of people aged 50 to 74 years reported having a fecal test within the past 2 years or a sigmoidoscopy within the past 10 years, which was higher than in 2017 (43%). 2017 was the last reference year that CCHS questions on cancer screening content were asked to respondents in all provinces. Given that this analysis does not cover people who have had a colonoscopy, there may be an undercounting of the proportion of Canadians who have undergone screening for colorectal cancer.
In 2024, at the provincial level, the proportion of people aged 50 to 74 years who reported having a recent colorectal test was higher in Saskatchewan (68%), Alberta (60%), Nova Scotia (57%) and British Columbia (53%) than the national average (49%). In contrast, the proportion of people in Newfoundland and Labrador (30%), Prince Edward Island (35%), New Brunswick (35%) and Ontario (45%) who reported having a recent colorectal test was lower than the national average.
Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally. Pap smear tests are used to look for abnormal cells in the cervix, which can help detect cervical cancer. In 2024, 69% of females aged 25 to 69 years reported having a Pap smear test within the past three years, which was lower than in 2017 (74%). Differences in Pap smear test participation exist between age groups. In 2024, 64% of females aged 50 to 69 years reported having a recent Pap smear test, which was lower than the proportion of females aged 25 to 34 years (70%) and of those aged 35 to 49 years (75%).
In 2024, among females aged 25 to 69 years, the proportion of those who reported having a recent Pap smear test was lower in Prince Edward Island (60%), Nova Scotia (62%), Quebec (63%) and British Columbia (66%) compared with the national average (69%). Note that some provinces have either transitioned to or are in the process of transitioning to human papillomavirus (HPV) tests for regular cervical cancer screening (see HPV testing section below). Furthermore, a higher proportion of females aged 25 to 69 years living in Alberta (75%), Saskatchewan (75%) and Ontario (71%) reported having a recent Pap smear test compared with the national average (69%).
Pap smear test participation rates also differed by racialized group and immigrant status. In 2024, a lower proportion of Arab (49%), South Asian (55%) and Chinese (63%) females aged 25 to 69 years reported having a recent Pap smear test when compared with non-racialized, non-Indigenous females (71%). Furthermore, a lower proportion of non-permanent residents (46%) and established immigrants (65%) reported having a recent Pap smear test compared with Canadian-born females (71%).
Meanwhile, 70% of First Nations females living off reserve and 71% of Métis females reported having a recent Pap smear test, which was similar to the non-Indigenous population (69%).
In 2024, among females who identified as a person with a disability, 58% reported having a recent Pap smear test, which was lower than the proportion among females without a disability (70%).
HPV testing
HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer. HPV tests are able to detect high-risk types of HPV in cervical cells and can be done less frequently when compared with Pap smear tests. In Canada, HPV tests are increasingly replacing Pap smear tests. In 2024, 33% of females aged 25 to 69 years reported having an HPV test in their lifetime. Among females aged 25 to 49 years, 39% reported having an HPV test, which was higher than the proportion of those aged 50 to 69 years (14%). In 2024, 39% of females aged 25 to 69 years living in Quebec reported having an HPV test in their lifetime, which was higher than the national average (33%). A lower proportion of females living in Nova Scotia (27%) and Ontario (31%) reported having an HPV test compared with the national average (33%). No other statistically significant differences were observed when comparing rates among the other provinces with the national average.
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in Canada. It is recommended that women aged 50 to 74 years who are at average or moderately increased risk of breast cancer screen for breast cancer by having a routine mammogram every two to three years. In 2024, 79% of females aged 50 to 74 years reported having a mammogram within the past three years, which was similar to the proportion in 2017 (78%).
Mammogram participation among females aged 50 to 74 years differs between the provinces. In 2024, 84% of females in Alberta and 81% of females in Ontario reported having a recent mammogram, which was higher than the national average (79%). In contrast, a lower proportion of females living in British Columbia (73%), Manitoba (72%), New Brunswick (68%), Nova Scotia (67%) and Prince Edward Island (67%) reported having a recent mammogram compared with the national average.
No statistically significant differences were observed in mammogram participation between the immigrant population and the Canadian-born population. Among First Nations females aged 50 to 74 years living off reserve, 71% reported having a recent mammogram, which was lower than non-Indigenous females (79%). Among Métis females, 77% reported having a recent mammogram, which was similar to the proportion of non-Indigenous females (79%).
Note to readers
For a deeper analysis, refer to the fact sheet "Colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening tests, 2024."
The data used are from the 2024 annual cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), which covers respondents living in the provinces. Data were collected from January 2, 2024, to December 31, 2024. Territorial data were not included in this analysis, given that the coverage of the 2024 CCHS does not represent the entire population of the territories. This analysis includes only non-proxy respondents.
In this release, a colorectal test includes a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) as well as a sigmoidoscopy. An FOBT, which is simply referred to as a fecal test in this release, includes the guaiac-based fecal occult blood test as well as a fecal immunochemical test.
Respondents could select multiple reasons as to why they did not have a recent fecal test, Pap smear test or mammogram.
In this release, data on racialized groups are measured with the "visible minority" variable. The "non-racialized group" is measured with the category "not a visible minority" of the variable, excluding Indigenous respondents. For the purpose of this study, Indigenous respondents are not part of the racialized group, nor the non-racialized group. "Visible minority" refers to whether or not a person belongs to one of the visible minority groups defined by the Employment Equity Act. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." The visible minority population consists mainly of the following groups: South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese.
In this release, "recent immigrants" refers to those who were admitted into Canada permanently less than 10 years before the survey was conducted. "Established immigrants" refers to those who were admitted into Canada permanently 10 or more years before the survey was conducted. Immigrants who have obtained Canadian citizenship by naturalization are included in this group. Non-permanent residents are those who are from another country with a usual place of residence in Canada and who have a work or study permit or who have claimed refugee status (asylum claimants).
Indigenous group is based on the self-reported answer to the question, "Are you First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit)? First Nations (North American Indian) includes Status and Non-Status Indians." The CCHS does not collect data on reserves in the provinces. Consequently, the results discussed for First Nations people exclude those living on reserve. In addition, people living in the territories, including First Nations people, Métis and a large proportion of Inuit, are excluded, as well as the majority of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland. As a result, these exclusions may impact the estimates for Indigenous populations.
Reliable estimates for the Inuit population could not be produced due to an insufficient sample size.
As defined in the CCHS questionnaire, a person with a disability is a person who has a long-term difficulty or condition, such as vision, hearing, mobility, flexibility, dexterity, pain, learning, developmental, memory or mental health-related impairments, that limit their daily activities inside or outside the home such as at school, work or in the community in general.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).