More Canadians screened for cancer in 2024

By Jonathan Got | August 7, 2025 | Last updated on August 7, 2025
2 min read
A doctor and an elderly patient are indoors at the woman's home. The doctor is talking to the woman while holding a tablet computer.
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More Canadians underwent colorectal and breast cancer screening in 2024 compared with 2017, according to data Statistics Canada released Wednesday.

Nearly half (49%) of people in the provinces aged 50 to 74 had a fecal test in the past two years or a sigmoidoscopy in the last 10 years to screen for colorectal cancer, compared with 43% in 2017. The data did not include people who have had a colonoscopy and could be undercounting the proportion of Canadians who have undergone screening for colorectal cancer.

For women aged 50 to 74 in the provinces, 79% had a mammogram to look for breast cancer in the past three years, compared with 78% in 2017. Mammogram participation was highest in Alberta (84%) and Ontario (81%) and lowest in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island (both 67%).

However, only 69% of women aged 25 to 69 in the provinces had a Pap smear test for cervical cancer in the past three years, compared with 74% in 2017. The test was most common (75%) for those aged 35 to 49, followed by those aged 25 to 34 (70%) and women aged 50 to 69 (64%).

In recent years, two of the big three insurers have extended life insurance coverage to cancer survivors. They can apply to all lines of life insurance products with Manulife and Sun Life, and may receive standard ratings depending on factors such as cancer type and stability period.

While applications within the first five years of treatment completion are more likely to be rated, those premiums can come down over time. If an applicant is denied for applying too soon after treatment ended, the insurer could issue a lesser product in the meantime and ask the applicant to reapply for a mainstream product later.

In response to an email, a Canada Life spokesperson wrote, “we don’t have information to share.”

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Jonathan Got

Jonathan Got is a reporter with Advisor.ca and its sister publication, Investment Executive. Reach him at jonathan@newcom.ca.