Preventative Healthcare

I'm due for my "annual physical" or "general checkup" but the medical team at Trafalgar Medical Clinic has been advising a different kind of review of my health.

Learn more about some of the things we will focus on at your preventative health review or "checkup" and learn why recommendations changed.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada recommends

Rethinking the Annual Physical.

Cancer Screening

Pap Tests
screening test for cervical cancer
Age 25-70

Currently, the Ontario Cervical Screening Program recommends that anyone with a cervix (women, transmasculine and non-binary people) who is or ever has been sexually active have a Pap test every 3 years starting at age 21 (recommendation to change to age 25 soon).

You can stop regular screening with Pap tests at the age of 70 if you have had 3 or more normal tests in the previous 10 years.

Learn More

Mammogram
screening test for breast cancer
Age 50-74

For women or transmasculine men without top surgery f you are age 50 to 74, the Ontario Breast Screening Program recommends that most people in your age group get screened every 2 years with mammography.

You can enroll in the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) to get annual reminders and book mammograms without a requisition.

Some patients at higher risk may qualify for MRIs annually or may benefit from screening earlier. Talk to your doctor about when to start screening.

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FIT test
screening test for colorectal cancer
Age 50-74

For patients at average risk for colon cancer (50-74 years old and no parent/sibling/child with colon cancer or pre-cancer) Cancer care ontario recommends screening:

Screening with the fecal immunochemistry test (FIT) a stool test every 2 years that detects blood in the stool.
A flexible sigmoidoscopy (or colonoscopy) an alternative more invasive test for colon cancer detection

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PSA test or rectal exam
?possible early detection of prostate cancer
Age 50+

There are no good guidelines for prostate cancer screening

It is still a controversial area in primary care.

An individualized discussion with your family doctor about the pros and cons of screening is a good thing to consider. Neither a rectal exam nor a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test is a great test and there can be harms to investigating (erectile dysfunction, urinary issues etc.)

See information from various societies below

Cancer Care Ontario

Canadian Urologic Association

Chronic Disease Screening

Diabetes
Age 40+
(or sooner with risk factors)

Learn More

Trafalgar Medical Clinic