BC Cancer Screening and Prevention

04/16/2026

Our weight is shaped by more than what we eat or how much we move.

Genetics, sleep, stress, health conditions, and where we live and work all play a role in shaping what a healthy weight range looks like for each person. What the science shows is that maintaining a healthy weight over time can help lower the risk of several cancers.

Looking for information or support? Talk with a health care professional or call 811 to connect with a health service navigator who can help guide you.

Learn more about the science at bccancer.bc.ca/prevention/nutrition-exercise.

04/13/2026

Celebrating National Medical Laboratory Week with a replay of our cervical cancer screening lab tour, highlighting the important work our colleagues do.

04/11/2026

Focus on optimizing your diet with whole foods first, before supplements.

Supplements can absolutely play a role, especially for those with dietary restrictions or digestive concerns, but they shouldn’t be the starting point.

Whole foods offer a powerful mix of nutrients that work together to support absorption and overall health—something supplements simply can’t replicate.

Start with food. Build from there.

04/09/2026

Cancer screening is an important part of 2SLGBTQIA+ health.

Stay informed and consider if breast/chest, cervix, colon and/or lung screening is right for you: www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/Documents/Gender-Inclusive-Screening-Fact-Sheet.pdf

04/07/2026

In your 40s and wondering if you should get a mammogram? Use our new resource: www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/Documents/Breast_Decision-Aid-40s.pdf

04/04/2026

Did you know we have translated resources for each of our four provincial screening programs?

Breast: screeningbc.ca/breast/translated-resources
Cervix: screeningbc.ca/cervix/translated-resources
Colon: screeningbc.ca/colon/translated-resources
Lung: screeningbc.ca/lung/translated-resources

04/02/2026

Come work with us!

Support breast health for people across British Columbia as a Mammography Technologist with BC Cancer.

Combine your technical skills, compassionate delivery of care, attention to detail, and sense of adventure, while you travel across the province with BC Cancer’s Mobile Operation team. The Screening Mammography program travels to sites throughout the province, with team members working two weeks on and two weeks off, supporting patients throughout mammography procedures including education about risk factors and self-examination guidelines.

Learn more about this unique role: https://ow.ly/xWL750YBRcO

04/01/2026

FYI

03/31/2026

Screening is for people with no symptoms. Speak to a health care provider if you have:

◾ Blood in stool
◾ Change in bowel habits
◾ Diarrhea, constipation, or feeling the bowel doesn't empty completely
◾ Stools that are narrower than usual
◾ General abdominal discomfort
◾ Weight loss for no known reason
◾ Constant tiredness
◾ Vomiting

You may be sent for diagnostic tests.

www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/colon/who-should-screen/if-you-have-symptoms

03/28/2026

Eating well doesn’t have to be expensive — and it can be plant-powered.

Here are simple, everyday ways to stretch your food budget and boost nutrition.

03/26/2026

Most people can screen with an easy at-home test called the FIT (F***l Immunochemical Test).

So, who gets a colonoscopy?

If your FIT finds blood, then you are sent for a colonoscopy to take a closer look.

Or if you have a significant family history of colon and re**al cancer, particularly if they were diagnosed before 60 years of age, then you will start screening with a colonoscopy.

Colonoscopies can prevent colon cancer by finding and removing polyps before they turn into cancer. Polyps are small growths that can develop in the colon or re**um, often with no symptoms in the early stages of growth.

03/24/2026

Learn more about cervix self-screening and request a kit: screeningbc.ca/cervix

For the past two years, people in BC have had a new, more accessible way to screen for cervical cancer at home.

BC was the first province in Canada to offer self-screening provincewide. If you're aged 25–69 and have a cervix, you can use a free HPV self-screening kit that’s quick, safe, and highly accurate — wherever and whenever you feel most comfortable.

HPV testing looks for the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers, often before any cell changes begin. That means risks can be detected earlier — helping prevent cancer before it starts.